Music
Curriculum Overview
At Shade, music is a highly valued subject. It supports our pupils in building a sense of community and they grow in confidence through shared performances and singing. It enables them to show their creativity through the compositions and sounds they make and helps us to build the cultural capital of our children.
Our Music Curriculum is underpinned by Charanga and we employ a specialist music teacher to teach all year groups from EYFS to Year 6. It is built around a spiral progression to ensure skills are revisited and built upon each year
The units of Work comprise the of strands of musical learning which correspond with the National Curriculum for music:
Listening and Appraising
Musical Activities:
- Warm-up Games
- Optional Flexible Games
- Singing
- Playing instruments
- Improvisation
- Composition
All our children sing in one of our three Christmas productions; EYFS/KS1/KS2.
Our Year 4 children all learn to play the violin or cello paid for by school and delivered by the Calderdale Music Trust. At a subsidised cost to parents or via pupil premium funding, they are then given the opportunity to continue in Year and Year 6. We currently have 20 continuers in Y5/6.
Our music specialist also offers in-school piano lessons to around 30 children at any one time, paid for by parents or in some cases pupil premium funding.
All our instrumentalists then perform as part of our annual ‘Shade Shines’ performance at the local Todmorden Hippodrome Theatre.
We are especially proud that the children have access to extra-curricular musical experiences. Our choir at KS2 meets weekly and as well as performing in Shade Shines, have taken part in local theatre productions, such as Evita and as part of extended community choirs for special events.
Through Calderdale Music Trust, pupils can undertake music lessons on a whole host of instruments. These are private lessons that take place in school; parents agreed arrangement is with the Music Trust. Contact can be made via admin@calderdalemusictrust.org.uk or 01422 303060 for further information.
