Music

Music at Merstham Primary School

At Merstham Primary School our vision statement ‘A community growing, learning and achieving together’ clearly sets out what we wish to achieve as a school community.

Embedded in our vision are our values; Community, Aiming High, Learning to Learn and Wellbeing.

“Music has a rare and unique ability to bring people together; music making can make a whole class, school and community feel connected to others and part of something bigger.”

_{DFE; Model Music Curriculum 2021}

Our aim for Music at Merstham is to encourage our children to develop a love for music and awaken the musician within, developing confidence in themselves and freedom of expression.

At Merstham, we subscribe to the Charanga music scheme which supports our children to listen to and appraise music of varying styles; appreciate significant pieces of music throughout history; develop awareness of musical notation; learn how to improvise and increase self-confidence through performance.

Within our spiral curriculum, we look at the following objectives:

• To appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians.
• To develop an understanding of the history of music.
• To listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory.
• To use and understand staff and other musical notations.
• To play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control, and expression
• To improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music

Children play and perform with a range of musical instruments alongside, and in addition to, the content provided by the Charanga scheme.

• Year 1 children experiment with a range of percussion instruments.
• Year 2 children are taught to play the recorder.
• Year 3 children develop their skills in playing glockenspiels.
• Year 4 children are taught to play the ukulele.
• In Upper Key Stage 2, as well as using instruments, children are introduced to computerised music in the form of Chrome Music Lab and Garage Band.

Extra-curricular opportunities are provided in the form of:

• School Choir
• Recorder club
• Young Voices at the O2
• Weekly singing assemblies (currently on hold due to covid precautions)
• GLF Music Festival

This week we are listening to…

Each week, every year group is introduced to a new piece of music taken from the suggested list provided by the Model Music Curriculum. We aim to develop our children’s cultural capital and ensure they experience a wide range of genres and styles from baroque and classical to Jazz or Rap.

Each year, our children enjoy sharing their musical talent with parents. EYFS and KS1 children work together to perform the Nativity, KS2 partake in a Carol concert for parents and Year 6 children perform an end of year production, with Year 5 providing a backing choir. Previous shows include Bugsy Malone, Mary Poppins, and Joseph.

Peripatetic Lessons

Private music lessons are something we have enjoyed supporting at Merstham primary school in the past and we are excited to be re-instigating private sessions from September 2022. Watch this space! If your child is interested in learning an instrument with a qualified peripatetic teacher, you can use this link to find out more information.

Yumu Home Learning Link (see your class teacher if you have forgotten your password)
Peripatetic Music Lessons for Children
BBC Bitesize KS1 Music
BBC Bitesize KS2 Music
BBC: Ten Pieces - Classical listening and fun activities