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.

THE SCHOOL MUSIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Extracts from  “The power of music to change lives – A National Plan for Music Education” (DfE 2022)

  In partnership with their Music Hub, the Department of Education would like every school to have a Music Development Plan that captures the curricular and co-curricular offer and sets out how it will be staffed and funded.

  The School Music Development Plan sets out how the school delivers high-quality music provision for all pupils in the three areas of curriculum, co-curricular and enrichment.

   The plan considers how the school will staff and fund this provision, including how staff development will be supported, how the school will work with the Music Hub (Nottingham Music Service- NMS) to support and build on this provision, and how the school will monitor success.

  As part of their Music Development Plan, the school considers (with support from the Music Hub) considers opportunities for pupils to pursue music beyond the core curriculum, and how they can be supported to access those. The plan also considers the barriers pupils may face and the role of the school in helping them.

  Capturing this in a Music Plan will help a school to:

• engage critically with its music offer
• feed music into wider school improvement
• open a dialogue with Music Hubs to enhance in-school provision and connect pupils to broader opportunities
• publicise their music offer to pupils and parents, including on the school website, so families know what to expect

  Pupils from families with little experience of music education may benefit from mentoring via the Hub, to support and chart their progression. This could be communicated by publishing the school Music Development Plan, allowing parents to understand the school’s approach to music.

  School leaders and music teachers should be able to articulate how any aspiring musician in their school can access high-quality opportunities. To reach their full potential, pupils may want to attend a Saturday Music Centre or a local ensemble, in school or beyond.

Please see below the OBS Music Development Plan for 2024-25

“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.