At Bickley Primary School, we believe in the power of music!

Music is part of everyday life and many people take great enjoyment from listening, singing and performing.  Whether we are watching a movie and appreciating the soundtrack, singing in the shower or playing an imaginary drum kit as we listen to the radio – music is all around us.  It is an important part of life and is an important part of our school too. 

In music lessons, concerts and assemblies, children are given the opportunity to explore and engage with a range of musicians and musical styles, developing an understanding and appreciation of culture and chronology by listening to and talking about different genres of music across eras in time. Lessons are fun, allow children to take risks, problem solve, work independently, lead/work collaboratively with others and develop their control, knowledge, creativity, confidence and skills as musicians.

Our teaching focuses on developing the ability to understand rhythm and follow a beat. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. Children are taught and encouraged to use technical vocabulary including volume, pitch, beat and rhythm and use these words confidently and accurately when appraising music.

We want our pupils to develop as empathetic musicians being able to articulate their appreciation and understanding of music from the past through to the 21^st Century performed by a varied range of musicians including those from minority groups or those who are able to demonstrate skill over adversity. 

In Years 4 and 5 children have the opportunity to participate in ‘Band on the Run’, a series of lessons to help them learn the basics of their brass or woodwind instrument culminating in a concert for friends and family.  This is run by professional musicians from Bromley Youth Music Trust.  Many children continue with lessons after the project.  In Year 6, all children learn the Ukulele. 

Children have access to a wide range of instruments and use these in their weekly music lessons when composing.  In addition, we offer a wide range of music lessons which are taught by visiting peripatetic teachers – violin, piano, guitar, trumpet, horn, cornet, saxophone, clarinet and flute.

Singing is a fundamental part of our school.  The whole school comes together every week to sing.  We sing a range of songs - old and new, in harmony and in parts, lively and upbeat or slow and emotive.  We balance technical accuracy with enjoyment and children are encouraged to listen to the sound they are creating collectively and to give value to the joy of singing together with others.

We don’t sing because we are happy.  We are happy because we sing.

Performances

There are lots of opportunities to perform.  Children take part in concerts at school or during our Christmas service in the local church. Most recently, some of our instrumentalists took part in NEST FEST – a celebratory concert held in a professional theatre for local NEST schools.

At Christmas, Children in Reception and Years One and Two perform musicals that celebrate the real meaning of Christmas.  They learn songs in parts and are expected to learn all of the words so they can focus on performance and musicality. 

All children in Years Three to Six take part in our annual carol service in Bromley Parish Church.  We sing a mix of traditional carols and new songs and always encourage children to audition for solo parts – there are many!  Some of our pupils who learn instruments, accompany soloists or the whole choir as they use British Sign Language to communicate the lyrics. 

In Years 5 and 6, children have the opportunity to take part in Young Voices – a huge celebration of music and singing at the O2 Arena in London.

Our staff love to sing too and always take part in our performances with great enthusiasm. 

Children who learn instruments perform for family and friends in our yearly concerts.  We celebrate their hard work and long hours of practise with opportunities to perform in small groups or as soloists. 

We frequently have the joy of listening to pupils as they introduce assemblies.  Performing for others is important as it helps children prepare for exams but more importantly reminds them that music brings joy to others.

Music Vocab

Progression Document Music