Holly Hill Primary and Nursery School
Music
Subject Intent
General Statement
At Holly Hill we believe that a quality Music curriculum should inspire pupils to develop a life-long love of music and their talent as musicians. Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Besides being a creative and enjoyable activity, Music can also be a highly academic and demanding subject. We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.
Music contributes significantly to developing language, reasoning and memory; it allows children to connect with others by creating a sense of community and promoting teamwork; it leads to improved motor skills and co-ordination; it improves memory and integrates many other subjects. As well as this, Music makes a vital contribution to well-being: it is known to elevate mood and motivation, reduce stress and improve focus.
Through our Music curriculum we make links to our whole school curriculum intent statement. The aspects which are particularly significant to Music are:
Balance of knowledge and skills
Emotional well-being and healthy relationships
Rich vocabulary
Diversity
Experiences and opportunities
Specific Aims
The National Curriculum outlines the following aims for Music:
perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.