Music at The Gattons

Intent

At The Gattons Infant School it is our intent that we make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage all children to participate through performance and composition and be involved in a variety of musical experiences aiming to build up the confidence of all children. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to understand rhythm and follow a beat. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We teach them to listen and to appreciate different forms of music from a range of cultures and genres. Children develop descriptive language skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent different feelings, emotions and narratives. We also teach technical vocabulary such as dynamics, pitch, tempo, beat, pulse, melody and rhythm and encourage children to discuss music using these terms.

Implementation

We do this through specific weekly music lessons as well as daily listening appreciation.  The children are taught the skills, knowledge and vocabulary progressively from Reception through to Year 2.  All children in KS1 learn to play the recorder and many also learn the ukulele and extend singing opportunities through lunchtime clubs.  The children are encouraged to use their emotional literacy to discuss how music makes them feel, as well as discussing the feelings and emotions represented by the music.   Music is part of our OPAL playtimes with children having access to music to listen to as well as instruments to play.