Music

The Music Curriculum can be split into four main areas. These are: Creating and exploring music, Listening and appraising, Musical activities and performing. We have a music afternoon each term to give the children the opportunity to explore music and cover the four areas. This involves the children listening to different genres of music and learning to play a musical instrument. We focus on teaching the recorder and the glockenspiel.

At Banwell we endeavour to provide the children with opportunities to perform and listen to a variety of music, both through the curriculum and in extra-curricular activities.  The children take part in singing festivals throughout the year which involve the children learning songs from lots of different cultures. We also have productions throughout the year where the children learn songs and take part in performances such as the Nativity, Carol service and the Key Stage two production at the end of the year.

The Children are encouraged to learn to play a musical instrument at Banwell and we are currently providing piano, guitar and brass lessons through the Music Service.  We hold a musician of the Year concert in term four which allows the children to share their musical skills with the school in the hope they will be crowned Musician of the Year for Key Stage One and Two.

Planning and teaching

The publication in Autumn 2021 of the DfE Model Music Curriculum, led us to review the progression and curriculum materials that we have in place in school.  As many of our teachers are non-specialists in Music.  From September 2023, we will be adopting the Sing Up! curriculum. 

This is an area where we are on a learning journey ourselves, but with two members of staff having music degrees, we feel that we have a solid background for undertaking this process.