Music Intention

At The vine, we take great pride in our Music learning as it is an integral part of the school. We believe that Music is a unique way of communicating that inspires and motivates pupils. It is a vehicle for personal expression, and it can play an important part personal development. Music reflects the culture and society we live in, therefore, Music teaching and learning at The Vine enables pupils to better understand the world they live in. Music also plays an important part in helping pupils feel part of a community. Besides being a creative and enjoyable subject, we believe that Music is also a highly academic and demanding subject.

We provide opportunities for all pupils to create, play, perform and enjoy music, develop the skills needed to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to make judgements about the quality of music.

At The Vine, we aim to:

• Develop the child as a whole through engagement in musical activity;
• Ensure all pupils are able to access musical activities;
• Explore and understand how sounds are made, and can be organised into musical structures;
• Explore how music is made through a variety of instruments;
• Develop the interrelated skills of composition, performance and music appreciation;
• Explore how music is composed and written down;
• Explore how music is influenced by the time, place and purpose for which it was written;
• Develop and nurture pupils’ sense of self, and allow opportunities to explore their own ability;
• Explore thoughts and ideas through their imagination;
• Develop pupil’s knowledge and understanding by having opportunities to practise skills;
• Create a platform to recognise and celebrate the diverse culture of our school through music.

Music Implementation

At The Vine, we aim to make Music an enjoyable learning experience. We believe that each learning experience should engage and inspire pupils to be enthusiastic, life-long musicians. Therefore, we aim to teach Music musically – through completing a range of musical activities which pupils thoroughly engage in. We are very lucky at The Vine to have a wide range of instruments, both tuned and untuned, which the pupils play regularly in their Music learning and during extra-curricular activities.

The Vine uses the Charanga scheme of work to teach Music. Each year group follows at least 2 of the units from the scheme which are adapted to suit the needs of the pupils. (For some year groups, the 3rd unit of learning consists of learning music for productions, instrumental lessons or cross-curricular projects.) We believe that singing lies at the heart of good music teaching, therefore our teaching focuses on developing the pupil’s ability to sing in tune and with others. Each unit is taught through learning to sing and play a song. These songs develop in complexity and length as the pupils progress through the school. Through learning these songs, opportunities are also provided for listening to and appraising different styles of music, improvising and composing music, and learning about the features of music (e.g. tempo, texture, dynamics, structure, rhythm, pitch etc.). The Charanga scheme builds upon prior learning and provides opportunities for pupils of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit.

How does Music link to our School Vision?

This is our school – Music is an integral part of The Vine. All pupils are given opportunities to be challenged through quality first teaching. Pupils show kindness and gentleness by thinking about others and helping them empathetically through partner/group learning activities.

Let peace dwell here – Pupils show goodness by making the right choices to be ready for learning. They also develop self-control when playing the instruments by treating them respectfully. Additionally, pupils are encouraged to take the time to be peaceful, reflect upon their learning, and develop a sense of awe and wonder.

Let the rooms be full of contentment – Singing brings much joy and happiness to the pupils and to the school. Learning is progressive, skills are taught and knowledge is gained. This requires pupils to be hard-working and patient to be able to fully master the curriculum. Pupils are also often given opportunities to experiment, deepen their understanding and celebrate their achievements.

Let love abide here­ – Pupils engage with meaningful learning that has a purpose, to foster curiosity and love for Music. We take pride in our Music learning. The Vine community of adults and pupils celebrate and value Music throughout the school.

Love of one another – Pupils will be given opportunities to work independently, with partners, in teams and as part of the whole class. This allows them to learn to respect each other and celebrate each other’s talents.

Love of mankind - Through exploring Music from around the word, pupils will learn to understand and be tolerant of those with different faiths, beliefs and cultures.

Love of life itself and love of God – Pupils have a positive attitude towards their Music learning and we try to instil a joy of life-long learning. Pupils embrace challenges and are helped to have faith in themselves. During weekly singing worship, pupils recognise that singing is a form of worship (linked to Methodism).

Let us remember that as many hands build a house, so many hearts create a school – Each composition/performance of music is personal and special to the pupils, but as a collective, it adds value to the celebration of Music as a whole at The Vine. Pupils are offered a rich, varied and diverse curriculum where we provide opportunities which draw upon meaningful, real-life experiences.

Links to Christian and British Values

The British values and the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC) form an integral part of the Music curriculum.

Spiritual - Listening to, creating or performing music can sometimes be a moving and even spiritual experience, creating awe and wonder. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on the important effect that music has on people. Singing is also a form of worship, demonstrated in our weekly singing worship.

Moral – Pupils learn to compose and perform for different audiences and purposes. Pupils also learn to respect all genres of music. Through the songs chosen, children explore meaning and lyrics. Additionally, children learn to look after the musical instruments and equipment, and treat it with respect.  

Social – Through the common goal of making music, pupils learn to work effectively with others and build good relationships. Music plays a vital role in building self-confidence such as through sharing music and performing. The extra-curricular opportunities provided at The Vine allow all pupils to perform and participate in the celebration of music.

Cultural – Pupils have the opportunity to encounter music from many cultures/religions, and through their growing knowledge and understanding of music, they become more accepting towards other cultures, religions and societies. Pupils learn to respect the diversity of Music. Pupils also learn about the history of music when listening to and appraising music from different genres.

Tolerance – Music learning stimulates pupils’ curiosity about, and tolerance of, differing cultures/religions and their music, whilst also developing a growing awareness of identities, from personal to national to international.

Rule of law – Pupils know that there are rules and expectations that have to be followed during Music learning.

Individual Liberty – Pupils know that they can make independent and informed choices, within the parameters of the rules, when performing, improvising and composing music.

Mutual Respect – Pupils understand that they can express their views and listen to the views of others when appraising music. They also respect other pupil’s views when they differ to their own.

Democracy – Pupils are given opportunities to have a say, ask big questions and be engaged in topic they want to learn about.

Key Documents and Resources