Intent

Music can have a profound, positive impact on the lives of people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures, worldwide. At Beechview Academy, we recognise that there are a number of barriers to children’s learning and progression in music; this includes a lack of access to musical instruments, experiences of live musical performances and a reduction in music teaching - particularly recently, due to the pandemic. At Beechview Academy, we aim to provide a high-quality, engaging music curriculum which inspires pupils and enables them to develop their self-confidence, nurtures their creativity and allows for individual progression within musical understanding and excellency, whichever stage in their musical learning they may be. We aim to provide a music curriculum which supports, challenges and is designed and adapted to, all learners; one which is ambitious, buildable, carefully considered and sequential, and is broad, balanced and vibrant, through which the children can develop an appreciation and enjoyment of a range of musical styles and how they can be used to convey meaning and emotion. Our music curriculum allows for individual expression, supports holistic development, increases self-efficacy and is inclusive to all. We firmly believe that music gives children the opportunity to reach their developmental capabilities, and understand and appreciate how crucial it is - not only as a tool supporting a large number of transferable skills or the strong links it has with the rest of the curriculum, but in its own right, due to the impact it can have on individuals. 

At Beechview Academy, we are aware that musical excellence can come at any stage and age, therefore we endeavor to offer a music curriculum which enables any learner to progress regardless of their musical understanding. We aim to provide a music curriculum that will incrementally advance each pupils’ musical skills, knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, we acknowledge that there may be pupils attending Beechview Academy for whom there is the potential that opportunities and experiences provided by music, or almost any musical knowledge, could be strongly lacking; subsequently, we value the significance of the need to provide these children with an accessible music education and the opportunities they require, to increase their cultural capital. Over time, we aim to raise pupils’ musical aspirations and fill any gaps in their learning. 

The National Curriculum highlights the following areas for which it aims for KS2 pupils to achieve: 

• 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
• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
• 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 interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations - and improvise and compose with these interrelated dimensions for a range of purposes
• listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory  
• use and understand staff and other musical notations
• appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
• develop an understanding of the history of music

Our music curriculum follows the requirements outlined by the National Curriculum, meeting the same criteria as well as supporting our Beechview Values of: resilience, curiosity, being community-minded (through performances and collaboration at different scales and understanding of cultures), kindness, confidence, independence, respect, ambitiousness and bravery.

It is our intent that pupils develop an understanding of and curiosity for music through the skills of singing, listening, analysing, playing, composing, performing and evaluating, and have a simple knowledge of notation and theory, whilst appreciating the significance of all types of music and immersing themselves in musical opportunities.