We were excited to get our teeth into developing our music curriculum after our last OFSTED: Music was the one area of the curriculum we felt we needed to develop and this was one of our areas for improvement. Unfortunately days after receiving the OFSTED report school’s went into the first lockdown and everything took a slightly different direction. Our new priority was learning how to teach online, supporting our families and opening for our most vulnerable children and the child of key workers. Understandably, music took a backseat for a little longer.
When we returned however we had changed. Before COViD we had plans to purchase a scheme and use this to deliver a good quality music curriculum subsidised by one off/ short term opportunities to play instruments. However, now we wanted lots of opportunities to play together but also to ensure music was accessible to everyone. We decided to think out of the box. Who said music can only be played on instruments.
We wanted to explore how music can be played on anything and of course our minds went to the global phenomena that is STOMP. They create an amazing show making music with literally anything. We initially planned to use them as inspiration but we felt we lacked musical strength in the staff. Lots of us love music but not one of us would claim to be a musician. We raised money and arranged for Carl Smith, one of the co-founders of STOMP to come and spend a week with us. Through the day he taught workshops to the children with the staff watching and learning. In the evenings he spent time teaching staff about the different rhythms and how these skills could be taught over time and how to weave in the musical elements that give the music quality and depth.
Of course that curriculum needed tuned instruments and we were fortunate to appoint a wonderful TA who is both a qualified teacher and a music teacher (and an amazing musician), from 2022 Jo joined the teaching team part time teaching in EYFS and leading music. She is an adviser to all staff and so far always has the answer. This has helped us improve the tuned instrument progression working on the pentatonic scale in key-stage 1 before learning to play instruments in Key-stage 2. The tuned instruments we offer are simple but affordable. The year 3 and 4 children learn the ocarina whilst year 5 and 6 learn to play the recorder (adding in keyboards for the more able. The lovely thing about using ocarina or recorder is that they don’t cost too much, so parents can often purchase them for home but also if a child appears to enjoy or have a talent, school are more than happy to let that instrument go home and replace it because every child should have access to music.
Starting in 2023, we felt that music appreciation can often get lost as children are often far more excited to make the music. With our aim to be a school of belonging and justice and ensure music is part of our journey we have introduced a music appreciation assembly every other week. This is still in development and the expectations vary from age range but there really is something magical about coming together to listen to music- something humans have been doing way before instruments or musical notation were ever thought of.