Music Curriculum Intent Statement
Our curriculum begins the moment children are welcomed into our school and is comprised of all the carefully crafted decisions we make that impact our learners. Our aim is to prepare our children for their futures, enabling them to use their God-given talents to achieve their full potential. Thus, allowing them to live out our virtues and take advantage of every opportunity so that they are best-prepared for their life in an ever-changing world.
We instill self-belief, courage and ambition in our pupils with our mission that we are:
Growing in God’s Love
At St. John’s we follow the Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust’s Curriculum design for core and foundation subjects. This falls in line with our National Curriculum for teaching music.
We believe our music curriculum provides a range of opportunities and enhancements for all pupils. Within music, this includes elements such as:
Choral singing for Years 3 and 4 is led by expert staff from the Leeds Diocesan Music Service.
Children in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to learn to play the melodica. This is led by expert staff from the Leeds Diocesan Music Service.
Children have the opportunity to perform music in assemblies and collective worship.
Children are offered the opportunity to join with others across the BKCAT in the trustwide choirs.
Musical terminology is highlighted within the curriculum and put into practice during music lessons.
Children have the opportunity to listen to varied world music through the ‘piece of the week’.
As a school we will:
- Build a love of reading and vocabulary for all pupils with the use of interrelated dimensions of music and information texts about composers on a daily basis.
- Show our high-expectations for all our pupils through an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that is enhanced and resourced with expert musical skills. All pupils have a chance to shine as they perform and realise their musical potential.
- Provide a broad and balanced curriculum for every child, ensuring learning is correctly and progressively sequenced.
- Use creative musical learning opportunities wherever possible so that children can learn actively and in innovative ways, using unusual and versatile instruments such as melodicas.
- Ensure there are opportunities for links and connections to be made by all our pupils so that they know and remember more. Musical opportunities boost maths, language and auditory skills and provide exciting cross-curricular links (e.g. creative R.E.)
- Give our children a thirst for learning and the confidence to use their unique talents to contribute to society as respectful and active citizens.
- Build resilience and courage as we prepare them for a modern world in which they can flourish and thrive.
A regular part of the classroom music lessons is performance when children share their compositions with the rest of the class. We believe that this is an important step in building their confidence to perform, and also to listen to and to respect the achievements of others.
We are proud to be part of the Diocese of Leeds School Singing Programme. Year 2, 3 and 4 classes receive weekly singing sessions delivered by an expert Choral Director from the Diocese, focusing on positive engagement with singing and supporting the Catholic life of the school through sacred music. The sessions offer practical and incremental coverage of areas of the music curriculum – including notation – in a two-year curriculum framework developed by the Diocese, the National Schools Singing Programme and the National Youth Choir of Scotland.
As a result of this, our pupils also have the opportunity to join one of the Diocese’s acclaimed after-school choirs, which offer an incredible opportunity to pursue a passion for singing and music.
In addition, Year 5 and Year 6 learn to play the melodica where they read music and learn notation. These sessions are timetabled melodica lessons each week taught by a specialist keyboard teacher from the Diocese of Leeds. Lessons are taught via a scheme of work developed by the Diocese of Leeds Keyboard Programme Leader.
The children have regular opportunities to perform the pieces they have learnt in their lessons to a wider audience – pupils and parents – at various intervals throughout the school year. Some children are then chosen to represent the school at the BKCAT Music Festival held in July each year, during which they showcase their learning, skill and talent as a developing keyboard player.
Musical Experiences
As a Catholic Primary School, we place significant importance on liturgical music. We have a weekly Hymn Practice that enables us to learn a variety of liturgical music to enhance our liturgies, e.g., school assemblies, Masses and other liturgical services. We learn traditional and contemporary hymns, mass settings and acclamations.
All children in Foundation Stage and KS1 have the opportunity to take part in Advent assemblies and the Christmas Nativity Play each year. KS2 children take part in our Advent assemblies and Holy Week Liturgies.
Year 6 children present either a Leavers Assembly or end-of-year production which incorporates either singing or instrumental performances.
Children can choose to attend the annual Young Voices Concert and participate in after-school groups to familiarise themselves with the song list.
The choir perform for:
- Parents
- Local nursing/care homes – Christmas Carol Singing
- School Masses
Further information
Link to Wakefield Music Service –
https://www.wakefieldmusicservices.org/site/
Link to Diocese of Leeds Singing Programme –
https://www.dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk/schools-singing-programme/
Link to Diocese of Leeds Keyboard Programme –
https://www.dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk/keyboard-studies-programme/
https://www.bkcat.co.uk/diocese-of-leedss-keyboard-studies-programme/
DfE guide for parents and young people on how they can get involved in music in and out of school, and where they can go to for support beyond the school.
Our local Diocese choir is Bishop Konstant Youth Choir –
please contact office@dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk for more information about joining.