Music
“Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes. There is no Force. Dinosaurs do not walk the Earth. We do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.”
Thus said Steven Speilberg, whilst paying tribute to the renowned film composer, John Williams.
Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It is a vehicle for personal expression and can play an important part in the personal development of people. Music reflects the culture and society we live in, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in and can help them to feel part of a community. In the words of Plato:
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything”
What we believe for our curriculum :
At Holbrook Primary School we strive to provide numerous opportunities for all pupils to create, play, perform and enjoy music, irrespective of gender, ability or age. We want children to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and for them to begin to independently make judgements about the quality of music. We recognise that children learn best when the curriculum is well sequenced to enable the revisiting of core knowledge, skills and in order to apply their learning across all areas of the curriculum. The Progression of Skills document for Music at Holbrook outlines how the key skills are developed, revisited, assessed and built upon from EYFS to Year 6.
How we put our aims into daily practice:
Music is taught weekly from EYFS to Year 6 by either our music specialist or the class teacher. Pupils have the opportunity to learn how to sing correctly and develop their knowledge of theory of music. They are given the chance to play a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments whilst developing their performing, composing and improvisation skills. During years 2,3 and 4, children are given the opportunity to learn the recorder. Children listen to music from a wide variety of traditions, cultures and historical eras, learning about great composers and increasing their knowledge of the different styles of music during their music lessons and the weekly music assembly – which is led by a professional musician. Pupils are offered the opportunity to learn an instrument with one of our experienced peripatetic music teachers. Currently, they are able to learn the violin, viola, recorder, drums, piano, guitar or ukulele. We are extremely fortunate that the Royal Hospital School invests their time and expertise into our extra-curricular music. This involves the offering of performance opportunities for the children at RHS singing alongside their 4-part choir. The children can join the Holbrook Primary School choir and orchestra from Year 3 onwards. As well as RHS supporting us, we are pleased that the Early Music Shop provided us with 40 recorders to use with our classes and we are also proud to be a Sing Up school.
We are successful because:
Teachers assess children through observations made during weekly music lessons whilst children are singing, performing, listening to and appraising music. Pupils use an increasing musical vocabulary to discuss the music they hear as they progress through the school. They are constantly encouraged to evaluate their own and others’ work, to suggest areas of weakness and ways to improve. Children are assessed by their teacher once a term using the subject leader’s bespoke assessment tool. Each child should be secure in their year group band by the end of the summer term. Through the annual subject leader cycle, the data is analysed and this informs teachers planning and improves the development of the curriculum with the support of the subject lead.
The organisation of performing opportunities involving the wider community enables the music curriculum to become a real-life learning experience. Here are just a few examples that show how our pupils have benefited from these experiences :
- Every December, EYFS and Key Stage 1 pupils stage a Christmas musical for their families and friends, showcasing their musical skills in singing and performing.
- Key Stage 2 pupils traditionally end the Autumn Term with a Christmas Carol Service at All Saints Church in Holbrook to which families and friends are invited. Every class performs a song that has been rehearsed during class music lessons. The band and choir are also given an opportunity to perform.
- Members of the Key Stage 2 often take part in a singing workshop run by Dominic Ellis Peckham (Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Chamber Choir of London) at the Royal Hospital School. They are taught different techniques in order to improve their accuracy in singing.
- The Key Stage 2 choir aims to travel to Snape Maltings biannually, to take part in Celebration, where they perform a selection of songs before joining children from other schools to perform a finale song – which is conducted and rehearsed by the composer. You can hear 2023’s finale song I Am Me, here.
- Every other year, the Key Stage 2 choir attend the O2 in London to sing with the Young Voices choir.
- Pupils who learn musical instruments are given the opportunity to showcase their talents by performing in our Tuesday music assemblies. We have enjoyed listening to performances from several pupils on instruments including the piano, violin, cello, guitar and drums.
- The Key Stage 2 choir visits RHS to sing with their Chapel Choir at the Harvest Festival each year and also sings at All Saints Harvest Festival. It also aims to sing at Holbrook Fête each year.
- Year 4 visit RHS to sing with their Chapel Choir for their Christmas Carol Service.
Calendar of performances/workshops :
2024
October – KS2 choir sang for Holbrook church’s Harvest Festival service.
October – KS2 choir sang with the RHS choir at Royal Hospital School’s Harvest Festival Service.
October – Whole school visit to Holbrook Academy to see Ugandan Orphanage Choir – Destiny Africa.
November – UKS2 attend Sing Up at Royal Hospital School
December – KS1 Nativity A Little Bird Told Me…
December – EYFS Nativity
December – KS2 Carol Concert
2025
January – Choir singing at Young Voices at the O2
February – Whole school live Young Voices assembly
April – Year 5 Try Your Hand at Band at Royal Hospital School
May – EYFS Circus Show
July – Year 6 summer production
July – Guitar and Ukulele concert
July – Summer music concert
October – KS2 choir sang for Holbrook church’s Harvest Festival service
October – KS2 choir sang with the RHS choir at Royal Hospital School’s Harvest Festival Service
November – UKS2 attend Sing Up at Royal Hospital School
December – Year 4 sang with the RHS choir at Royal Hospital School’s Christmas Carol Service
December – KS1 Nativity
December – EYFS Nativity
December – KS2 Carol Concert
Music golden nuggets.
Try practising your rhythm skills with these fun tasks!
Music Policy, Overview and Progression of Skills
If you wish to learn a musical instrument at school – firstly contact Mrs Sharp via the office.
At Holbrook, we offer tuition in violin, viola, cello, piano, drums, guitar and ukulele. We are fortunate that we have some school instruments available that can be borrowed, and there are generally spaces available for those wishing to learn, although sometimes a short wait is necessary.
Payment is billed by the office and is paid termly in advance, if you wish to stop having lessons, a terms notice is required – to be given to Mrs Sharp via the office.
Mrs. H. Sharp
Year 4 Teacher, Music, MFL and Pupil Voice Lead.
Mrs R Coulson-Parker
Parent Governor
Music
