Implementation

Fordcombe School provides specialist music teaching from Reception to year 6, planned and music specialist taught by a. Music in Early Years is taught in line with the Early Learning Goals, with a curriculum based around the relevant objectives and music area with continuous provision opportunities in place. In KS1 Year 1 and 2 are taught together and the National Curriculum is delivered through lessons, songs and games incorporating principles of Kodaly, Dalcroze and topic based learning. Staff notation is also introduced and songs are used by the class teacher and music teacher wherever possible. KS1 have had djembe lessons with individual drums hired from Kent Music and the opportunity to attend Indonesian Gamelan workshops at Sevenoaks School.

KS2 teaching is also in mixed years, with all of y3 and 4 receiving music plus for recorder and a national curriculum lesson weekly, using resources from BBC Ten Pieces alongside the development of the teaching of staff notation and using songs.

Y5 and Y6 also have one hour of music per week, delivering the National Curriculum and providing opportunities for composition and a rich exposure to a range of listening from various genres, eras and cultures. Various forms of notation and Music ICT are explored in Y5 and 6. We have also introduced Ukelele since returning to school after the lockdown in March 2021.

Impact

Music is a big part of school life at Fordcombe. Children are keen to take their instruments learned in class home to practice and many children come forward to perform at events.

We have 4 visiting instrumental teachers, offering violin, singing, clarinet, saxophone, brass, cello, piano, flute and guitar lessons. Currently 20 children of 104 in the school learn an instrument, a number of these are funded by pupil premium. We also have a school orchestra of around 15 pupils.
 

Our school choir is very popular, it is open to KS2 and at times more than half the pupils have attended. We sing at school events, village events and have been invited to join with a local adult choir to sing in their concert. We collaborate with other local schools for singing events and the teacher actively seeks opportunities to perform, such as at the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells.

Singing assemblies take place weekly and the children sing every day in Act of Worship. Acts of worship also include welcoming music which is chosen by the leader of the Act of Worship and discussed with the music teacher.

We provide pupils across the age range with numerous opportunities to perform through the year in solo concerts, school productions, church services and the very popular talent show.

Music is at the heart of Fordcombe School and this is reflected in the close links between classroom topics and the music curriculum that is designed to complement class topics, whilst still maintaining a skills based programme for music. Music is a key part of our culture and curriculum at Fordcombe, with new initiatives such as Djembe drumming, Ukelele lessons and reforms to our music curriculum being introduced in line with whole school curriculum changes.