"Without music, life would be a mistake."

Friedrich Nietzsche

What does music look like at Uplands?

At Uplands, we aim to deliver the musical knowledge, understanding and skills that provide each child with the framework and approaches that enable them to explore the multiple dimensions of music. Our teaching will equip pupils with knowledge about periods of music history, notable musicians and composers, how music is recorded, how to compose music and how to play instruments musically. We believe that practical music-making is key to developing our pupils' lifelong love of music. To ensure good musical progression throughout the school, we use a scheme called Kapow, which systematically builds on pupils’ knowledge each year with a hands-on approach to learning instruments and notes. Where possible, we make links in our music lessons to our five Big Ideas that appear throughout all subjects in our curriculum: environment, similarities and differences, diversity, relationships and changes.

Enrichment Opportunities

As well as having a weekly Kapow music lessons, we also give all our children the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. In Owls, everyone learns to play the ocarina; in Kestrels, all children have regular recorder lessons; and, in Eagles, everyone gets the opportunity to learn to play the ukulele. Our lessons are always fun and practical, as illustrated by this video of a music lesson in Eagles class.

In addition to our instrument lessons, we enrich our music curriculum through a range of different experiences for our children. These include:

• A music and drama enrichment week which included drumming workshops, instrument demonstration assemblies, music-making sessions and singing concerts.
• Every two years we take part in the Young Voices concert.
• Weekly singing assembly (see below).
• Music assemblies where the children get to share their musical talents (see below).
• Our music appreciation programme (see below).
• Uplands Got Talent performances (see below).
• Cross-curricular music – creating digital music in computing; movement and dance to various pieces of music; creating artwork in response to music.

Music Appreciation

At Uplands, we want music to become part of our children's wider education. Each term, we focus on a different composer or artist; we listen to their music and learn a little about their lives. One of our Big Ideas is diversity and this is reflected in the artists chosen. Through our music appreciation programme, during a child's school career they will listen to and appreciate a range of genres. 

Singing Assembly

Our singing assemblies are a time to celebrate the joy in singing together. We learn songs from a range of genres - sometimes with actions!

Music Assembly

Creating opportunities for our pupils to perform in front of an audience is an integral part of music at Uplands. We have regular Music Assemblies, during which parents and carers are invited in to watch the pupils sing, play instruments and enjoy making music.

Uplands Got Talent

If we can be sure of one thing, it's that Uplands most certainly has Got Talent. Every year, we showcase the children's diverse and often unexpected talents in a brilliant and fantastic show. The older pupils help to organise and produce the show; including managing the music, rehearsing with the younger children and presenting the different acts. Last summer, we saw comedy acts, singing performances, dance routines, dinosaur maths... and choreography on a pogo stick! We can't wait to see the extraordinary talents we will unearth this year.

Music Lessons

Music lessons for keyboard take place weekly with Ms Hill in the Hub. Some children can have their music lessons funded by the school.

Choir

Uplands has a brilliant school choir! Ms Hill runs a weekly choir practice.

Music Outcomes

At Uplands, we communicate our learning through a variety of ways. In music, these can include solo, group and class instrument performances, solo, group and class singing performances, written, pictorial and oral representation of music appreciation, composition using formal musical notation or informal pictorial notation.

Class teachers formatively assess the children’s understanding of the key vocabulary and knowledge taught throughout their lessons. They also record an overall understanding of key areas at the end of each unit to enable the subject leader and future teachers to have a picture of each child’s learning journey across their time from Reception to Year 6.

Granular Knowledge

We have mapped our the units of work covered across the school including the key vocabulary introduced each term.