During their time at Westwoodside Church of England Academy, all pupils will have the opportunity to:

• Take part in high-quality, hands-on music lessons that build skills in singing, performing, composing and listening

• Explore and appreciate music from different times, places and cultures, and understand the history and context behind it

• Experience cross-curricular learning through music linked to wider topics and subjects

• Experience live music performances and meet professional musicians to inspire their musical journey

• Participate in weekly singing assemblies that build vocal skills, enjoyment and confidence

• Have the opportunity to join our school choir and be part of performances at whole-school celebrations and community events

• Work with visiting music specialists and have the opportunity to learn an instrument

• Build creativity, teamwork and resilience through collaborative music-making

• Engage in performance opportunities that showcase personal progress and celebrate musical achievement

• Express themselves, find joy, and let their light shine through music

• Explore careers linked to music

We take a holistic approach to music, in which the individual strands below are woven together to create engaging and enriching learning experiences.

Each unit combines these core concepts within a cross-curricular topic designed to capture pupils’ imagination and encourage them to explore music enthusiastically. During their time at Westwoodside Academy, pupils will be taught how to sing fluently and expressively, and play tuned and untuned instruments accurately and with control. They will learn to recognise, demonstrate and name the interrelated dimensions of music - pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics -and use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions.

Our music curriculum follows the spiral model where previous skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon. Learners progress in terms of tackling more complex tasks and doing more simple tasks better, as well as developing understanding and knowledge of the history of music, staff, and other musical notations, the interrelated  dimensions of music and more.

In each lesson, pupils will actively participate in musical activities drawn from a range of styles and traditions, developing their musical skills and their understanding of how music works. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work as well as improvisation and teacher-led performances. Lessons are ‘hands-on’ and incorporate movement and dance elements, as well as making cross curricular links with other areas of learning.

Key vocabulary is discussed alongside more factual knowledge throughout music lessons to encourage pupils to build a strong foundation of musical knowledge through recall of key facts and vocabulary. 

Teachers have access to multiple videos related to each unit to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD, aiding teachers in their own acquisition of musical skills and knowledge.

Alongside class-based music learning, pupils take part in weekly singing assemblies, we encourage pupils to take part in our school choir and organise whole-school concerts and celebrations at St Nicholas Church, Haxey. If pupils wish to learn how to play a musical instrument, they are enabled to do this with the direction of specialised music teachers who visit the school to deliver lessons.

‘High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to/or different from this...special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less’ 

‘Lessons should be planned to address potential areas of difficulty and to remove barriers to pupil achievement’ (SEND Code of Practice 2015)

 In the first instance, provision for SEND children should be planned in accordance with their individual support plans, focusing specifically on areas of strength and needs and the use of reasonable adjustments. Additional strategies to support identified areas of need should be taken from The Quality First Teaching booklet. https://www.sensiblesenco.org.uk/shared-files/1903/send-quality-first-teaching-toolkit.pdf

The Quality First Teaching booklet includes practical strategies which should be used to support the following four broad areas of need: 

Cognition and learning needs - specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia), moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, global delay, profound and multiple learning difficulties 

Social emotional and mental health needs - behaviour, emotional and social difficulties, mental health difficulties, ADHD, depression, eating disorders, attachment disorders 

Communication and interaction needs - Speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome 

Sensory and/ or physical needs - Visual impairment, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, cerebral palsy Additional support and advice regarding individual SEND needs can be sought from the subject leader and SENDCO.

• Parents and carers will be invited to attend music workshops, class performances, concerts, and other musical events taking place in school and in the wider community.

• To engage in their child’s musical learning, parents can access the school website to find information about the music curriculum and view photographs and videos showcasing pupils’ musical experiences and achievements.

• Parents will be informed of their child’s progress in music, and the experiences they have had, through parent meetings and their child’s annual report.

• Throughout the year, they will receive letters and updates highlighting the musical opportunities their child has taken part in or will be participating in.