Music is an integral part of life at St Mary’s. In our music lessons we aim to foster pupil’s sensitivity to and enjoyment of music through a variety of individual, group and whole class activities. Music allows children to develop their creativity whilst being a highly academic and demanding subject. It also plays an important part in helping children feel part of a community. We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills, to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music. Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It is a vehicle for personal expression, and it can play an important part in the personal development of people. Music reflects the culture and society we live in, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in.

The music scheme of work that we use is the ‘Get Set 4 Music’ scheme and we teach music half termly for an hour a week, as well as opportunities to sing together in collective worship. Get set 4 Music exposes children to different genres of world music and it is also cross-curricular, as the topics chosen link to the wider curriculum of our school.

We have a range of music tuition in school. Bury Music Service provides individual tuition for pupils to learn guitar, strings, woodwind, drum kit, voice and brass. Tuition is paid for by parents, unless parents experience financial difficulties and are accessing the Free School Meals benefit. All children take part in the Bury Music Services’ taster assembly and they can sign up for a free taster lesson before they commit to lessons. Through these individual lessons, children are encouraged to take part in music grades and these are celebrated in whole school assemblies.

We have a school choir that is open to Key Stage 2 children and run by Mrs Marfell-Cadman. The choir has the opportunity to take part in Young Voices and also the Bury Music Services’ annual performance at the Bury Met theatre. Children from Year 2 upwards also have the opportunity to take part in the Christmas Choir, which perform at several settings in the local area, including Bury Market, Canon Lewis Hall and Emmanuel Church. Children learn songs as a whole school and sing in assemblies. These songs are linked to the up-and-coming festivals of the Christian faith to be celebrated in Church.

As a church school, pupils of all ages sing in daily worship, and we have weekly music and worship, collective singing. We have a termly Church Service, where all children sing hymns and relevant Christian songs during the service. We have an annual Harvest Festival for the whole school where all the children sing together with the community at St Mary's Church. We also sing together for our Christmas concerts: Early Years and KS1 perform a simple nativity with songs, Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to join in at the carol concert at Emmanuel Church for the community. 

 

Spirituality in Music

Spiritual development in nurtured in Music through:

• Exploring the work of musicians from a variety of times and places
• Appreciating beauty, truth and goodness within music
• Expressing, interpreting and exploring deep feelings and profound beliefs
• Showing artistic creativity
• Considering the effects music has on our emotions
• Reflecting on our own creativity
• Creating personal responses and performances inspired by different musicians
• Suggesting how pieces of music create mood and atmosphere

Useful websites

www.getset4education/music 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7tnvcw    KS1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zwxhfg8   KS2

https://www.musicmark.org.uk/resources/home-learning-resources/