Music at Old Basford School

Aims and ambitions

At Old Basford School, we want our children to be engaged and inspired to develop a love of music and increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

We educate our pupils so they have a coherent knowledge and understanding of a variety of musical styles and composers, how music is created and connects us together.

Using a clearly planned out curriculum, our children are equipped with a variety of skills in musicianship. Each child learns to play the glockenspiel from Year 1 and then the guitar from Year 4. After Year 4 children have opportunities to continue learning to play the guitar in after school provision in Year 5 ‘Area band’ and Year 6 tuition.

We believe that music helps to develop the whole child, for example music promotes resilience, self-expression, confidence, positive mental wellbeing and a sense of belonging.

Our children feel empowered to have a life-long love of music, realising that “music feeds the soul” and binds us together.

Sequence and Progression

In EYFS, we teach Music through the Early Learning Goal of: Expressive Arts and Design (Being imaginative and Expressive). We build on and develop the children’s enjoyment in singing and performing familiar songs from their immediate environment. For example, when taught a new song they are regularly repeated and revisited, the children are encouraged to sing and express themselves whilst engaged in various learning in the continuous provision.

From F1 to Year 6 we follow Charanga Model Music Curriculum scheme B which is in line with the NC and the EYFS framework. The Old Basford Curriculum Progression map for Music reflects the sequence and progression of the Charanga scheme. The units of learning are age appropriate and progressive from EYFS to KS2. The seven main skills that bind the music scheme together are: musicianship: understanding music/ listening/ singing/ notation/ playing instruments/ creating: composing and improvising/ performing.

At the beginning of each lesson, key concepts and subject specific vocabulary are revisited and built upon. Throughout the lesson, the key skills are shared explicitly with the children.

Children leave OBS ready and equipped to face the next stage in their Music education and beyond.  

Please click on the button below to see the OBS Music Progression Map FS-Y6.

“Every child should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument through whole-class ensemble teaching”

- National Plan for Music Education, DfE.

Nottingham is one of only 6 areas in the country to run the exciting In Harmony programme, an intense form of whole class teaching that aims to transform the lives of children using the power and disciplines of community-based orchestral music-making.

At Old Basford School, we offer a Whole Class Ensemble Teaching programme, taught by our colleagues from Nottingham Music Service.  As a registered charity and lead partner for the Nottingham Music Education Hub, NMS are committed to making music accessible and inclusive.  From Year 4, our children will learn the guitar.  From Year 5 they will be able to join Area Band, an after-school music club run by NMS.  There is also the chance for our children to participate in a subsidised residential music camp at Ilam Hall in Staffordshire, also run by NMS, as well as attend inspirational musical events at prestigious venues in the city.

As our children progress with their instrument, they will have the opportunity to get involved with a range of exciting music ensembles run by NMS.  And, if they love to sing, you might also consider the Robin Hood Youth Choir!

NMS has various strategies to support your child to learn, and one of these is to support them to achieve accreditation through ABRSM Music Medals and Grade exams.

At Old Basford School, we are proud to have been awarded the Music Mark!  Through our work with NMS we have shown commitment to ensuring high quality music education for all our pupils.  In fact, we have gone one stage further and been awarded Music Hub Champion School status!  This recognises that Old Basford School has gone the extra mile to help support musical opportunities both within and beyond our own school, helping music to make a difference for young people across Nottingham City.