Music Curriculum Statement
Willow Brook’s Intent
Music is all around us. It is the soundtrack to our lives. Music connects us through people and places in our ever-changing world. It is creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging. At primary school, music can bring a community together through the shared endeavour of whole-school singing, experimenting with the creative process and performing. The sheer joy of music making can feed the soul of a school community, enriching each student while strengthening the shared bonds of support and trust which make a great school.
Music has always been at the heart of a Willow Brook pupil’s experience. Through weekly whole-school singing, staff join together to promote a contemporary. lively atmosphere where self-expression and discipline join to raise morale and promote a sense of togetherness. Annual performances showcase the progress of our instrumentalists and choir, and the Christmas musical shows are always Willow Brook highlights. Children are proud to work together through music. They feel how it impacts on their wellbeing; how it forms deep happy memories… and they learn so much from what it adds to our curriculum and community. As our children grow and move on and the National Curriculum develops, our aim is to hold tight to this ethos and the joy and potential that music holds for a young child. Irrespective of age or ability, music at Willow Brook promotes an inclusive, ambitious arena that SHOULD be at the heart of the primary years.
Implementation
Our curriculum includes selected materials from the best primary sources we can find. Rather than following an off the peg scheme, it is tailor made to suit our needs and pupils.
- Sing Up and Sparkyard are full of lively songs, lessons and resources to liven whole school sessions
- The BBC provide specialist resources to support all teachers with composition and performance
- We are delighted to have the Nottinghamshire Music Hub support whole-class lessons
- Inspire Music provide peripatetic teachers who deliver quality tuition in woodwind and keyboards
- An independent musician adds drums and guitar to our weekly provision
- Out of the Ark musicals inspire whole-school performances
- The choir perform annually as part of the Young Voices initiative
A copy of how we structure learning and ensure our pupils make progress can be found here:
We know music at Willow Brook has impact. Pupil questionnaires and parent feedback continues to tell us that children love to sing and perform – and they do it with confidence, creativity and a great sense of community… which is what Willow Brook is all about!