At Burton, we believe that through listening to, composing and performing music, children will develop confidence, communication, thinking and creative skills and improve their emotional well-being. We teach music through the use the Charanga scheme of learning, which provides an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning. Our music lessons allow children to have freedom to explore and express themselves and their musicality in a safe environment, to be resilient whilst developing a skill and to celebrate their own achievements and that of their peers.

The Charanga scheme of work fulfils the statutory requirements in the National Curriculum (2014).  The National Curriculum for Music aims to ensure that all pupils:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians

• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence

• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

From these aims, we have identified four strands which run throughout Reception to Year 6. Each unit of work comprises the strands of musical learning which correspond to the national curriculum for music:

• Performing (singing and playing tuned and untuned instruments)

• Listening to music

• Improvising and Composing

• Developing an understanding of the history of music

An additional fifth strand is the inter-related dimensions of music, sometimes known as the elements of music, which are the building blocks of music and therefore weave throughout every one of the four strands to encourage the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing.

Live and Inspired

We were lucky enough to receive a visit from Thokozile, courtesy of our Music Provider Soundstorm. They brought us a fun and very cultural experience of African Flavoured Jazz! We couldn't help but dance along to the music - what a great way to end a Monday afternoon. Take a look at our pictures below...