Music is a wonderful way to engage children in school, from singing rhymes and action songs in Early Years to composing own pieces using computer programs in KS2. As a Church of England school, music is very much a part of our daily worship. The Worship Committee chooses music which links to our Christian themes and it is during these acts of worship that whole school singing takes place. It is a joyful way to start the day!
Music is well-developed at the school and is led and supported by some very musical members of staff.
Curriculum Aims for Music
Through their time at St. Andrew’s, we aim to ensure all pupils have experience across three areas of music:
1. Curriculum Music
Timetabled lessons where music is taught using the National Curriculum aims. Music is taught as a discreet subject by our class teachers, through carefully chosen units. These units contain the musical skills and knowledge our children need to progress through the year groups.
Following the Charanga scheme, children are taught musical vocabulary, the history of music, key performers, composers and artists, as well as formal notation in key stage 2.
2. Instrumental and vocal lessons and ensembles
All children learn to play a recorder in Year 3 and this is taught by senior leaders with music experience. Lessons also involve learning to read notation, a range of rhythms and the technical side of playing an instrument. We also run two choirs in KS1 and KS2. Both the recorder lessons and the choir clubs are free and inclusive. We use the Enfield Music Service to offer a range of individual instrumental lessons including saxophone, clarinet, piano and guitar.
3. Musical events and opportunities
Our week-long Arts Week is a celebration of music from different cultures, a time to experience live performances from pupils, secondary school pupils and from professional musicians.
Our more proficient players perform regularly in Collective Worship times. This gives many an opportunity to perform in front of an audience, before taking music exams.
Our Christian calendar of events allows for church services and performances at Harvest, Christmas, Easter and at the end of the year.
We have close partnerships with two secondary schools, who regularly invite our older pupils to take part in an Arts Day, as well as older students performing live for our pupils here at school.
We take part in many musical events outside the school, such as singing and dance performances organised by the Enfield Music Service and the Enfield Town Schools Partnership. The Music Hub also hosts training sessions and offers effective professional development for our teaching staff.
Enrichment opportunities in Music
As a church school, music is such an important and regular part of our school day. Music is carefully chosen by the Worship Committee, to be played as children enter Collective Worship each day. The composer and the title of the piece is spoken about at the start of the week and the music links to the image selected for the weekly theme.
We sing every day, taking great joy in celebrating the gift of song. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, we have separate key stage singing and praise assemblies. The children are taught a range of hymns and songs, raps and duets. Our church calendar helps us to plan songs for events such as Harvest, Christmas, Easter and the Leavers’ Service.
Other Singing opportunities
Songsack The school supports Year 1 pupils to take part in a singing programme called Song Sack, a weekly music programme led by the Enfield Music Service (EMS). We use the expertise of the EMS to lead these sessions, with the class teachers supporting. The programme finishes with a wonderful concert for our parents.
Whole class recorder lessons Children in Year 3 have weekly recorder lessons, led by the Assistant Headteacher and Head of School. The children are taught in small groups, where they learn to master a range of notes on the recorder, as well as other musical elements such as pitch, rhythm, timbre and notation. The sessions culminate in a performance to parents. Some children continue to learn to play the recorder in Year 4, having lessons from the EMS.
Partnership Festivals Every year, we take children from Y2-6, to share in a singing concert with other local schools. This is a wonderful opportunity to come together in music and song, as well as to perform a special piece in front of other children. The festivals are a highlight of the year and our children always enjoy the experience of visiting another school.
Singing Clubs is an after school club, run by teachers and open to all children in Years 2 and 3, Our KS2 choir performs at local schools and festivals, as well as to parents. Some Year 6 children also perform as a choir at Azalea Court, a residential home for the elderly, singing carols and other songs throughout the year.
Arts Week Every two years, we plan and organise Arts Week. This is led by the Music Lead, but involves the whole school in celebrating dance, visual and performance art, music and drama. The school uses some of its music grant to bring in musicians, to perform and work with groups of children. We also run a talent competition, where all children can audition for a part in the final show.
Year 6 Production Every year, our Year 6 pupils perform in the end of year production. This is a truly ambitious project and involves all children in singing, playing instruments, drama, visual art and dance. Previous productions have included The Jungle Book and Peter Pan.
More able musicians Our more able musicians who have passed music grades or would benefit from performing to an audience before a grade, are given the opportunity to perform in assemblies and at other school events. Parents, governors and friends are invited to attend and these performances showcase the talent of our young people.
We also regularly enter pianists (who have passed Grade 2 or above) in the Enfield Piano Competition, where we have had much success. Some of our musicians attend Saturday orchestras and bands, with many going on to achieve Grade 5 levels before they leave the school.
Instrumental lessons We have a team of peripatetic teachers, who come in on a weekly basis. Pupils at St. Andrew’s are able to learn to play the following instruments: violin, recorder, saxophone, clarinet, tenor horn, guitar, piano and keyboard. We currently have almost 100 pupils, who are learning to play an instrument at school.
Musical links with local secondary school Over the years, the Music Lead has built partnerships with the Music Departments of two local secondary schools, where many ex-pupils attend. Many older students, who are in bands or ensembles, come to perform to our children in a special assembly. It is usually followed by a Q&A session, where the students talk about how they became interested in music, what it is like to be part of a band and how music brings them joy. This is a really inspiring way of showing our older children how music can be a great way to socialise, to build friendships and to support good mental health and well-being.
Enfield Music Service (EMS)
EMS run music lessons for children in Years 2 - 6.
Parents are able to book or renew music lessons from the music store: