Music

Aims

The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all Barnabas Oley pupils:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations

Curriculum statement for the teaching and learning of music

At Barnabas Oley Primary School, we are committed to providing our children with a curriculum which has a clear intention, is implemented to the highest standards and impacts positively upon their learning outcomes. 

Read our Curriculum Statement - July 2021.

Music Development Plan - 2023/24

Music Progression Grid

National Curriculum Requirements

In Key Stage One, Barnabas Oley pupils are taught to:

• use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
• play tuned and untuned instruments musically
• listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
• experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music

In Key Stage Two, Barnabas Oley pupils are taught to:

• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
• improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
• listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
• use and understand staff and other musical notations
• appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
• develop an understanding of the history of music

Further School Information

In weekly class music lessons at our school, children learn to recognise and explore how sounds can be made and changed, to sing simple songs from memory, to recognise repeated sounds and sound patterns, to match movements to music, and to perform, and compose using a variety of instruments.

Daily assemblies provide children with the opportunity to sing together as a large group. In addition, during the weekly Singing Assembly pupils learn and perform songs with the aim of provoking thought through the lyrics, developing the voice and promoting enjoyment of music making.  Other opportunities for musical performance are open to all through the Christmas performances, our yearly Barnabas Oley’s Got Talent Show and our Founder's Day Service.

Extra-curricular musical activities are also provided. The school choir, now some 49 strong, meets every Monday, giving opportunities to extend and challenge the vocal skills of children from Year 2 to 6. The choir performs at all our church events and also participates in the Young Voices’ concert at the O2, and the Voice in a Million event at Wembley.  See our Special Events Photo Gallery.

Guitar, drums, recorder, piano and woodwind tuition are also offered within school by visiting professionals. See the Extra-Curricular page for more details.

Charity Concert - Spring 2024

 Just before breaking up for Easter 2024 the musical talent at Barnabas Oley was showcased at a special concert in aid of the RNLI and to raise funds for school music. To celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the RNLI  the concert had a 'Sea' Theme and the choir took centre stage as they invited us 'Under the Sea' and down to the Rockpool. Year Four joined in taking us to Venice with a wonderful performance of Offenbach's Barcarolle and then the Flute ensemble brought us closer to home with a lovely rendition of the Skye Boat Song. We were very privileged to be joined by the amazing Mr Paul Phoenix who performed several songs with a watery connection for us. Even the parents joined in with some Sea Shanties and the evening was rounded off very beautifully with a new setting of the sea farers hymn Eternal Father Strong to Save performed by the choir and adult performers too. We raised a fabulous £300 for the RNLI, and the same amount to go towards music resources at school. Thank you to all who performed and attended and made it such a memorable evening for all.

Music Workshops

The award winning folk band, The Young'uns, have provided our pupils with a music workshop, encompassing gripping story telling.

See the  Special Events Photo Gallery to view photos and videos from the workshop.

Music to Inspire...

'Ten Pieces is an exciting new initiative for primary schools, led by BBC Learning and the BBC Performing Groups, focusing on classical music and creativity.'

Learn more about Ten Pieces here.

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