Music

Here at YWCPS, music has always been embraced as a way of expressing joy and as a way to promote our sense of community within the school. It is our intent to provide an opportunity for all children to explore and to be creative with the dimensions of music through singing, playing different instruments and through listening to a range of musical styles.

Music is a wonderful tool in unlocking several key skills, such as: listening and appraising; working as part of a team; developing self-confidence and boosting mental health. All children across the school are provided with opportunities to play musical instruments and to sing together as outlined below.

Early years

In early years, children are encouraged to sing together through nursery rhymes and other simple songs and chants. The children also have the opportunity to listen to a range of musical styles. They are encouraged to respond to the music through the use of percussive instruments and movement, to help them to develop their listening skills while also gaining an awareness of pulse.

KS1

In KS1, children begin to explore dimensions of music by listening to different styles of music and beginning to discuss they types of sounds they hear (timbre), the speed of the music (tempo) and whether the music is loud or quiet (dynamics). In their sessions, they learn to sing songs and add to music by playing the glockenspiel. The children are also given the opportunity to create their own music through the use of improvisation and composition. We use our online music platform, Charanga, to support these sessions.

KS2

In KS2 we are very lucky to have two wonderful peripatetic teachers from the music service that deliver whole class instrumental lessons each week. In Year 3, they develop their sense of rhythm and pulse on steel pans and djembe: Year 4 – 6 develop their understanding of musical notation while learning the keyboard.

Whole school

As well as creating music with instruments, we love any opportunity to sing together. Weekly singing assemblies are enjoyed across school, whether it is class based or as a school and has led to some very successful performances!

Listening is a fundamental part of music, to help to nurture an appreciation of music each year group is given the opportunity to explore different musical styles over the course of the year.