Fairlop Primary School

Music at Fairlop
At Fairlop, we aim to educate, develop and inspire children to achieve their full musical potential. Music inspires creativity and develops essential skills for developing confidence and self-expression. We therefore aim to provide a wide range of musical experiences for all through our ambitious curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities.

At Fairlop Primary School all children have the opportunity to participate in singing, tuned and un-tuned percussion work, composition and listening to live and recorded music. Our music curriculum begins in Preschool where pupils learn to sing songs and rhymes, pitch match, sing the melodic shape (moving melody, such as up and down, down and up) in familiar songs and create their own songs or improvise a song around one they already know.  The pre-school music curriculum is designed using Development Matters. Lessons take place in whole class or small group sessions as well as during their own child-initiated learning time supported by teachers and early years educators. 

Pupils in Reception to Year 6 follow a scheme called Active Music. Active Music is a child-centred musical approach inspired by the teachings of Zoltan Kodaly. Musical skills are taught progressively, moving from the simple to the complex in small, logical steps. Children learn the musical elements of pulse, rhythm, and in-tune singing using solfa through a wide range of musical repertoire, including chants, songs, rounds, canons, circle games, name games, rhythm games, action games, turn-taking games, puppet games and more. They progress to instrumental activities, arrangements, compositional work and notation as the children gain in experience and confidence.  The songs have been specifically chosen to be within the children’s pitch range – which is an important consideration when children are learning to sing in tune. Most of the songs are short, repetitive and easy to learn. Repetition is vital as repeated practise enables children to internalise their musical skills.

Pupils in Years 3-6 have access to specialist instrumental lessons each week led by peripatetic teachers from the Redbridge Music School. Parents can request for pupils to have these lessons in school in a range of instruments including piano, violin, cello, woodwind and guitar. Pupils are also given the opportunity to learn to play the recorder and the ukulele as part of the music curriculum during their time at Fairlop.

Our music curriculum also promotes our school values; group work, independent practice and perseverance, creativity and having the confidence to perform are built in and allow children to succeed and develop as individuals.  Children take part in a singing assembly every week where they learn songs chosen specifically to support our school values and reflect the diverse community within our school.  The use of displays in the classroom and around school helps the children embed musical vocabulary, recognition of instruments and develop their understanding of music history. Learning is enhanced through performances throughout the year and visits from professional musicians to the school to ensure all pupils have the opportunity to listen to quality live music.

Teachers assess pupils throughout each unit and ensure that pupils make progress towards the end of key stage national curriculum expectations at the end of each academic year. Throughout the year, the subject lead will monitor the music provision (e.g., through lesson observations, planning, performance videos and pupil voice) and standards at the end of each key stage are monitored annually.

Curriculum links
Where relevant, the music curriculum has been planned in line with the content of other curriculum subjects. The music knowledge, skills and concepts children acquire across the school are then applied to their cross-curricular topics, allowing children to use their music skills to reflect on and explore curriculum content in greater depth. 

Outcomes
Music folders are provided for each year group and will progress through the years with them. The folders will show a progression of musical knowledge and skills. In many cases, history, geography, science and computing work is also linked to the music units, allowing children to apply their musical knowledge in creative ways e.g., by learning historical facts about life in the bronze age though a song. Music work is displayed in classrooms and across the school to celebrate and inspire musical knowledge and understanding. Pupils who take music lesson or who learn instruments outside of school are encouraged to take part in performances to showcase their musical skills, including an annual recital for children in upper key stage 2. Children who are part of the school choir are encouraged to perform as a group to a range of audiences, including a biennial Redbridge Choral Festival performance at the Royal Albert Hall.