At Aldryngton Primary School we believe that every child should have access to the highest quality music education. As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, children are able to acquire both the knowledge and skills to be a musician. We understand that high quality music education has been shown to benefit academic progress in all other areas of the curriculum, for students of all abilities.
Aldryngton follows the Charanga scheme of work for music. This enables consistency in approach across the school; supporting teachers with their subject knowledge and confidence of music teaching. Each Unit of Work comprises of strands of musical learning which correspond with the national curriculum for music:
- Listening and Appraising
- Musical Activities
- Warm-up Games
- Optional Flexible Games
- Singing
- Playing instruments
- Improvisation
- Composition
- Performing
Charanga Musical School Units of Work enable children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills.
Musical teaching and learning is not neat or linear. The strands of musical learning, presented within the lesson plans and the on-screen resources, are part of the learning spiral. Over time, children can both develop new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established musical skills and concepts. Repeating a musical skill doesn’t necessarily mean their progress is slowing down or their development is moving backwards! It’s just shifting within the spiral. Mastery means both a deeper understanding of musical skills and concepts and learning something new. The Charanga Scheme supports all the requirements of the national curriculum along with our curriculum aims at Aldryngton; “to know more, and to remember more.”
Although, Charanga is used in each year group there may be times where an alternative music unit is taught to children if it closely linked to the topic being covered in the classroom. This unit will be linked to the aims of the National Curriculum.
Extra-curricular opportunities at Aldryngton
Big Sing
At Aldryngton, we believe that there are many benefits that arise from engaging in singing. Everyone has the potential to sing competently and enjoy singing.
Each Thursday, the whole school gather to sing. We sing a range of songs from traditional, to pop but the aim is for children to develop a love of singing and work collaboratively. It is a great time for our whole school community to come together.
Junior Choir
Junior Choir meets weekly and is open to all children in the Juniors who would like to attend. We sing at school events such as the Christmas Fayre and at local events such as the Junior Music Festival held at the Hexagon.
Having the opportunity to perform in a production is an important life skill. We have a production each year where children have the opportunity, to act, sing and dance. Each production is supported by our choir.
Individual music lessons are provided in some instruments. – contact the school office for details.