Music

Subject leader

Mrs Cooper is responsible for Music. This means ensuring there is an ambitious curriculum set, supporting teachers to implement it through high-quality lessons and checking that everything is helping children to know more, remember more and do more.

If you would like more information in addition to that published on this page, please email:

hcooper@oakfield.academy

Purpose of Study

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. 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.

Aims

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:  

Oakfield's Approach

Inspirational People

At our school, we believe in using the power of inspiration to help shape the thinking and curriculum design of our students. That's why we have taken inspiration from successful and influential people who have made a significant impact in their respective fields. By studying their stories, we aim to inspire our pupils to aim high and achieve their own goals. We have carefully curated a list of inspirational figures, including scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, and activists, to name a few. We have analysed what made them successful and incorporated their values, principles, and strategies into our curriculum design to provide our students with the tools they need to succeed. By doing so, we hope to empower our students to dream big and achieve greatness.

Intent

We are setting out to help our pupils be ...

Implementation

We will do this by ensuring ...

Impact

We will have made a difference when ...

Threshold Concepts

These are our big takeaways called ‘threshold concepts’ - an overview of what we want pupils to know. They are the same for every year group and help us to ensure we build learning on the same ideas, that way we help children to be able to remember more meaningful connections rather than remembering isolated facts.

Progression on a Page ...

Here is an overview of what we expect children to be taught, know and do by the end of each year group.

Year R

Year 1

Year 2

Children will be taught to ...

Year 3

Children will be taught to ...

Year 4

Children will be taught to ...

Year 5

Children will be taught to ...

Year 6

Children will be taught to ...

Units of Learning ...

Year 1 - Autumn

Singing Stars - Singing and Performance 

In this unit children will learn to sing a range of new songs in time to the music. Throughout this unit, there will be an emphasis on developing the children’s confidence when performing. They will accompany their singing with actions and learn to start and finish together. Year 1 will perform a traditional nativity to the local community alongside Year R and Year 2.

Year 1 - Spring

Calling Crew - Call and Response

This unit focuses on helping children to refine their singing skills by learning how to sing response melodies in time and with awareness of pitch. Children will learn about call and response techniques in music and how to apply them to their singing. They will also develop their listening skills and learn to identify and match pitch accurately. Through this unit, children will improve their musical abilities and expression when singing. By the end of the unit, children will have a greater understanding of call and response techniques in music and how to use them effectively in their singing.

Year 1 - Summer

 Picture Perfect Musicians - Graphic Scores

This unit focuses on helping children develop their understanding of music notation by learning that it can be represented by pictures and symbols. They will learn how to interpret and create graphic scores, which use non-traditional symbols and images to represent musical elements. Children will apply this knowledge by creating their own graphic scores based on the seasons, using their imagination and creativity to express the musical characteristics of each season. Through this unit, children will improve their critical thinking and creativity skills, as well as their ability to read and write music notation. By the end of the unit, children will have a deeper understanding of music notation and how to use it to express their musical ideas.

Year 1 - Summer

Animal Orchestra - Animals

This unit focuses on helping children develop their creativity and musical skills by experimenting with their voices and body percussion to compose a short piece of music that portrays an animal. Children will learn how to use musical elements such as rhythm, melody, and dynamics to create a soundscape that represents the chosen animal. They will then build on this by using a range of musical instruments to enhance their composition. Through this unit, children will improve their listening and teamwork skills, as well as their ability to express themselves through music. By the end of the unit, children will have created a unique piece of music that reflects their creativity and musical abilities.

Year 2 - Autumn

Accurate Analysts - Singing / Composing

This unit focuses on helping children develop their singing and composition skills by learning to sing songs using different pitch, volume, and tempo. They will also listen to different pieces of music to identify and analyze different features, such as dynamics, timbre, and structure. Through this unit, children will learn about musical elements and how to use them to create their own music. They will also develop their creativity, teamwork, and communication skills as they work together to compose music. By the end of the unit, children will have improved their singing and composition abilities and gained a deeper appreciation for music as an art form.

Year 2 - Spring

Pioneering Percussionists - Percussion / Composers

This unit links to the coastal learning and focuses on helping children develop their musical skills and creativity by exploring the use of percussion in music. Children will learn about key composers who use percussion in their compositions and how to create their own rhythms using beats and percussion instruments. Through this unit, children will improve their understanding of musical elements and their ability to use them creatively. They will also develop their teamwork and collaboration skills as they work together to create percussion compositions. By the end of the unit, children will have a greater appreciation for the role of percussion in music and will have improved their technical and creative abilities.

Year 2 - Summer

Purposeful Performers -Listening / Performing 

This unit links to the animal study and focuses on helping children in the UK develop their appreciation for music and creativity by exploring the Carnival of the Animals composition. Children will listen to and analyze the dynamics and characteristics of the music, as well as the composer's choices. They will also use their knowledge of animals to create and perform their own music. Through this unit, children will learn about musical dynamics and how to use them to convey emotions and tell a story. They will also improve their creativity, teamwork, and performance skills. By the end of the unit, children will have developed a deeper appreciation for music and its connection to the natural world.

Year 3 - Autumn

Minimalist Maestros-Performing

This unit focuses on helping children develop their composition skills by creating minimalist songs inspired by the composer Steve Reich. Children will learn about the characteristics of minimalist music, such as repetition, phasing, and layering, and how to apply them to their own compositions. Through this unit, children will develop their rhythmic and melodic skills, as well as their ability to use technology and music software to create and manipulate sounds. By the end of the unit, children will have composed their own minimalist songs using rhythm and layers, demonstrating their creativity and technical abilities.

Year 3 - Autumn

Instrumental Explorers -Instruments 

In this unit children will play a variety of tuned and untuned instruments such as the Glockenspiel, Triangle and Tambourine. They will follow rhythms with accuracy to accompany songs from around the world. Year 3 will explore dynamics, the role of the conductor and create musical scores. 

Year 3 - Spring

Iron Man Soundscapers - Composing

This unit focuses on helping children develop improvisation and composition skills by creating a soundtrack for The Iron Man book study. They will identify the story's mood and use musical elements to create an appropriate soundscape. Children will learn about music elements and how to combine them for an effective composition. By the end, they will have improved their creativity, collaboration, and musical skills. 

Year 3 - Spring

Symbolic Singers - Singing and Performing

In this unit Year 3 will use their voice in different ways, including using a loud or soft voice, and identify simple repeated patterns. They will use their voices to create notes of different pitches, durations and dynamics. This will be carried out by highlighting certain lyrics and creating different moods. Year 3 and 4 will perform together for an Easter production. 

Year 3 - Summer

Pitch Perfectionists - Notation 

In this unit children will explore how specific terms can be used to describe the sounds and changes in a piece of music, including pitch (high or low), timbre (sound quality), dynamics (loudness) and tempo (speed). They will recognise and respond to invented musical notation and symbols using instruments. Year 3 will deepen their understanding of crotchet rests, minim rests and semibreve rests and explore the importance of musical notation for musicians i.e when not to play or sing. In this unit children will be taught how pitch is represented.



Year 3 - Summer

Classical Composers - Composers 

This unit helps children in Year 3 appreciate music from great composers and musicians. They will learn about the historical and cultural significance of the piece and develop their listening skills, identifying musical elements and structure. By the end of the unit, they will have a greater appreciation for classical music and composers such as Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn.

Year 4 - Autumn

Rhythm Revolutionaries - Pulse and Rhythm

This unit focuses on helping children develop their rhythm skills through listening, internalisation, and ensemble composition. Children will learn to identify and respond to the rhythm of a piece of music, internalising the pulse to improve their timing and coordination. They will also develop their ensemble skills by working collaboratively to compose rhythm for a piece of music. Through this unit, children will improve their ability to listen to and respond to different rhythms, as well as their teamwork and creativity skills. By the end of the unit, children will have a greater understanding and appreciation for the role of rhythm in music and will be able to create and perform rhythm compositions as a group.

Year 4 - Autumn

Vocal Virtuosos - Singing

This unit teaches children to sing and speak expressively and creatively by using their voices to sing songs, speak chants, and rhymes. They will learn the basics of singing and develop their language skills while gaining confidence in expressing themselves. By the end of the unit, they will have improved their vocal skills and communication abilities.

Year 4 - Spring

Music Genre Explorers / Symbolic Singers - Music Appreciation and Listening 

This unit teaches children to explore different music genres and develop personal preferences. They will listen to high-quality live and recorded music, learning to identify and describe genre features and communicate their music preferences. By the end of the unit, they will have developed a greater appreciation for various genres and enhanced their critical listening skills. Year 3 and 4 will perform together for an Easter production. 

Year 4 - Summer

Expressive Ensembles -Composition and Notation

This unit focuses on helping children develop their performance skills to perform with confidence, accuracy, fluency, control, and expression in front of an audience. Children will learn the basics of live performance, such as stage presence, breathing techniques, and vocal control, and how to apply these skills to different musical styles. Through this unit, children will improve their musical abilities and develop their confidence in performing in front of others. By the end of the unit, children will be able to perform with greater skill and expressiveness, communicating their music to an audience with confidence.

Year 4 - Summer

Stage Sensations - Performance 

This unit focuses on helping children develop their performance skills to perform with confidence, accuracy, fluency, control, and expression in front of an audience. Children will learn the basics of live performance, such as stage presence, breathing techniques, and vocal control, and how to apply these skills to different musical styles. Through this unit, children will improve their musical abilities and develop their confidence in performing in front of others. By the end of the unit, children will be able to perform with greater skill and expressiveness, communicating their music to an audience with confidence.

Year 5 - Autumn

Creative Composers - Pulse and Rhythm 

In this unit, children will learn about the pentatonic scale and how this was used during ancient civilisations to create music. The children will compose their own pieces, using the glockenspiel, considering rhythm.

Year 5 - Autumn

Notable Notations - Composition and Notation 

Children will learn to compose and write notation for a soundtrack that could be played as part of the upcoming Hindu ‘Holi’ festival. Children will explore how different sounds can represent spring and record their notation using some musical notation symbols.

Year 5 - Spring

Comparative Composers -Significant People 

During this term, the children will study significant composers from the Baroque period, such as Vivaldi. The children will apply their listening and appreciation skills to compare the composers, as well as explore why they were significant in the composition of music during this time period. 

Year 5 - Spring

Heavenly Harmonisers - Music Appreciation and Listening 

This unit teaches children to sing in rounds and harmonise together, forming their singing parts for the end-of-year production. They will improve their vocal skills and collaborate to create a successful performance. By the end of the unit, they will be able to perform in rounds and harmonise effectively as a group.

Year 5 - Summer

Blissful Blenders/Perfect Performers -Singing/Performance 

This unit helps children improve their group singing performance for the end-of-year production. They will learn techniques to project their voices, adjust tone and volume, and collaborate on harmonising and blending. By the end of the unit, they will have improved their singing skills and confidence as a group.

Year 6 - Autumn

Composer Chronicles - Composition

This unit helps children improve their group singing performance techniques for the end-of-year production. They will learn to project their voices, adjust tone and volume, and work collaboratively on harmonising and blending. By the end of the unit, they will have improved their singing skills and gained confidence in their ability to perform as a group.

Year 6 - Autumn

Circulatory System Groovers - Rhythm and Pulse 

This unit teaches children to connect science with music by exploring the rhythms and pulses of the circulatory system. They will listen to and perform these rhythms using percussion instruments and their bodies. By the end of the unit, they will have improved their coordination and sense of timing.

Year 6 - Spring

Titanic Troubadours - Singing and Performance

In this unit, children create and perform a musical composition with instruments and singing, inspired by the Titanic. They will learn composition basics, including melody, rhythm, harmony, and structure, and use instruments to accompany their singing. By the end of the unit, they will have composed and performed a complete piece of music.

Year 6 - Spring

Electronic Notation Ninjas - Notation

In this unit, children learn to write electronic and techno music using proper notation. They will explore rhythm, melody, and harmony and use software to create and record their music. By the end of the unit, they will be able to compose a complete piece in this genre.

Year 6 - Summer

Call and Response Conversationalists - Music Appreciation and Listening

In this unit, students learn to perform music using call and response to engage their audience. They will learn to initiate and respond to musical phrases, creating a dialogue between performer and listeners.

Year 6 - Summer

Musician Mavericks - Significant People

This unit aims to teach children to appreciate musicians who have had a significant impact on society through their music. Children will learn to analyse lyrics, themes, and styles, and connect music to social movements, gaining a deeper understanding of the power of music to promote change.

Detailed Progression in Music

1e - Threshold Concepts - Music.pdf

Mrs Angel's Music

Mrs Angel provides music lessons to Oakfield pupils. Please contact her for more info - hayleyangel0@hotmail.co.uk.