Music at Walkington Primary School

At Walkington Primary School, we want our children to foster a life-long love of music by igniting a passion for music. By listening and responding to different musical styles, finding their voices as singers and performers and composers, we hope to enable them to become confident, reflective and inventive musicians who enjoy the pleasure of listening to, singing and playing music.

We study a varied curriculum which is carefully planned to build on knowledge year by year and covers the four musical disciplines of listening, singing, performing and composing.

As poet and Harvard Professor Henry Wadsworth Longfellow famously said, “Music is the universal language of mankind” so at its core, we see our music curriculum as a catalyst that breaks down cultural (as suggested in a study conducted by Samuel Mehr 2018) and social boundaries as we expose the pupils to as many diverse musical experiences as possible. It will promote team working and the development of social skills by fostering the importance of working cooperatively with others as the children are given opportunities to jointly collaborate with a partner, in small groups, as a whole class, an entire Year Group and as a whole school.

Plato remarked that “Music is the medicine of the soul “and at Walkington School, we recognise that music is essential for positive mental health. We explore how music can affect our emotions whilst encouraging the children to express their individuality and creativity through allowing them to exercise their imagination and be inventive and resourceful through composing and performance.

The school recognises that each pupil will be at a different point in terms of their understanding of music by the time they transition to KS3; however, we are committed to providing a learning pathway which is inclusive of everyone irrespective of abilities.

This intention also aligns closely with our aim of promoting the “Global Competencies” outlined by the OECD.

“Pupils behave well and are polite, articulate and respectful.”

Ofsted comments

“Teachers plan interesting activities that motivate the pupils. Staff ensure that all pupils are valued and included in learning.”

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“Exciting activities, such as visits to places of worship, generate high levels of
interest and curiosity about the themes that pupils are studying.”

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“Older pupils develop a good understanding of what they read. Leaders promote a love of reading and pupils say the school provides them with high-quality texts.”

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“The passionate and effective leadership of senior leaders and the commitment of the staff have sustained the good quality of education at the school.”

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“Learning in early years gets off to a good start. As a result of effective teaching and provision, children progress well from their starting points.”

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“The teaching of reading is good. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of
phonics.”

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“Good teaching through early years and in key stage 1 ensures that the proportion of pupils passing the Year 1 phonics screening check is consistently above average.”

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“Improvements in the teaching of mathematics have helped to increase pupils’ progress and improve pupils’ ability to solve mathematical
problems.”

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“The quality of teaching at Walkington Primary is underpinned by warm and caring
relationships between staff and pupils.”

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“Parents and carers who offered their views to inspectors were overwhelmingly positive about the experiences of their children.”

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“The school’s welcoming and caring ethos is central to its work in raising standards for
pupils.”

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“Teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan interesting tasks that engage
pupils.”

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“The school is a calm, orderly and purposeful place for pupils to make the most of their learning.”

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“By the end of Year 6, outcomes are high in reading and writing. In reading, they are
particularly high.”

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“Governors are ambitious for the school. They challenge and support leaders effectively.”

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“Pupils listen to the opinions of others and are keen to offer their views considerately and respectfully.”

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“From the moment pupils enter the school each day, they are greeted with respect and a genuine sense of care from the adults in the building.”

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“Effective safeguarding procedures are in place. All staff have a clear understanding of how to keep pupils safe.”

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“Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and
are clear about priorities and plans for improvement.”

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“Staff welcome the professional development they receive and say that this makes a real difference to the quality of their teaching.”

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“In all key stages, pupils are now making good progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.”

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“Adults give pupils
opportunities to share ideas and challenge their own thinking and this helps them to articulate their opinions with confidence.”

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“The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.”

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“Leaders are well trained and use their knowledge of special educational needs to identify specific requirements at an early stage and provide timely support.”

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“The profile of sport has been raised and more pupils now compete in sporting
activities.”

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“The broad curriculum provides a wide range of enriching experiences for pupils.”

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“In mathematics lessons, resources are used well to enable pupils to visualise abstract ideas and to get a more secure understanding of number.”

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“Staff encourage pupils to be resilient and take risks. Pupils know it is all right to get things wrong and that this is part of the process of learning.”

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