Button Lane Primary School

Only the best is good enough

Music

Music Lead - Mrs Prosol

Intent 

We believe that music is a way for children to express themselves through singing, composing and performing. Our pupils should have plentiful opportunities to explore their musicality and develop skills, finding a way to enjoy music that suits their interests. Learning about different composers, genres, instruments and cultures enriches their view on the world and instils values that they will carry with them throughout life.

We aim to deliver a creative, varied, and engaging programme of high quality classroom music that sets out the knowledge, skills and understanding to be gained by all pupils at each stage of learning. We offer pupils opportunities to learn multiple instruments through whole class teaching during their time at Button Lane and develop individual talent by offering small group tuition, leading to ABRSM grades.

Our Music curriculum takes an integrated approach to musical learning which is progressive and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum for Music and many of the suggested approaches of the Model Music Curriculum.

Our Music Curriculum

Beginning in Early Years, children learn and sing songs and rhymes that relate to ‘Personal, Social and Emotional Development’ and ‘Understanding the World’.

In Key Stage 1, pupils develop their singing, listening, playing and composing skills through units that focus on developing memory, call and echo/response, chants, rap and rhymes. 

In Key Stage 2, children have multiple opportunities to learn a range of tuned instruments through both whole-class and small group tuition. Through classroom music, pupils build on the skills of singing, listening, composing and performing through a variety of genres and historical and cultural contexts for example; World Folk and Gospel Music, and the American civil rights movement and WW1. Pupils deepen their understanding of staff notation, scales and the interrelated dimensions of music: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure.

Instrumental Tuition

At Button Lane Primary School, pupils have multiple opportunities to access instrumental tuition throughout their education. Mrs Prosol provides first access and wider opportunities lessons for children across our school.

Year 3 - Whole Class Tin Whistle tuition

Year 4 - Whole Class Violin tuition

Year 5 - Whole Class Guitar tuition

Year 6 - Whole Class Ukulele tuition 

Impact

Assessment is used as a tool to inform our teaching and learning and to measure the impact of the curriculum we have created. We vary our approach to assessment to ensure it is tailored towards each subject. It takes place purposefully and meaningfully at key points across the year.

We assess Music in the following ways:

  • Observations and formative assessment take place during Music
  • Weekly reviews to assess prior knowledge and starting points at the beginning of each lesson 
  • Termly reviews of recorded evidence
  • Moderation within school using whole class Music Learning Journeys, observations, review of recorded evidence and end of unit projects/outcomes using clear descriptors 
  • Pupil Voice

Conversations between subject leaders and class teachers take place to ensure that standards across the curriculum are monitored and reported annually to staff,  parent’s and  governors

Music Mark Award

We are proud to have been awarded the Music Mark Award annually in recognition of our commitment to providing high quality music education for our pupils.

Artsmark Award

We have been awarded the Artsmark Silver Award for our commitment to arts and cultural education. 

Folk Band

Mrs Prosol runs the Folk Band. Pupils are invited to join the club should they show keen interest or talent.

The Folk Band perform at various events and venues throughout the year.

Music Culture

At Button Lane, music is at the heart of our school culture and is the perfect medium for discovering and learning all about other cultures from around the world.

Music and song are of great importance in our assemblies, annual festivals and celebrations including; Harvest, Black History Month, Christmas, Saints Days and Easter.

Manchester Music Hub

If your child is interested in learning a musical instrument or joining a music club outside of school, please take a look below at the Manchester Music Hub website below for more details and information. 

Music Gallery

Here are Year 3 singing a Traditional North American camp song in canon and “Tongo”, a call and response song.