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Music

As a school, our aim is to foster a lifelong love of music where our pupils can grow in self-confidence, connect with others and learn that there are no limits to where their ambitions can lead them - that they CAN be our future songwriters, music producers, music teachers, pop stars or orchestral musicians.

The children at Our Lady of Lourdes ARE MUSICIANS! 

We aim to deliver high quality, engaging, ambitious and fun music lessons.  The curriculum reflects the world we live in now, but at the same time giving them access and insight into music through history in all its different genres and culturally diverse traditions. 

As children move through the school, we encourage all pupils to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we hope to ignite a passion for music; opening up avenues for ALL to access opportunities for enrichment, boost self-esteem and a sense of achievement, whatever their ability.  We see music not only as a life skill but also as a tool for well-being, as a means of bringing our school and the wider community together and as a window for creative outlet for those children who find learning a challenge. Inclusion is important.

In music lessons, activities are tailored to their abilities and many of our SEND, EAL and vulnerable children in KS2 participate in extra-curricular music activities including peripatetic 1 - 1 lessons and choir. 

We aim to send children into secondary school musically literate; being able to play the recorder, glockenspiel and ukulele: be able to listen to and appraise a variety of musical styles and be able to perform pieces and create their own compositions.

We are a singing school - we recognise the importance of singing and the physical, psychological, mental, social and educational benefits it brings. We have regular singing assemblies as well as hymn practice and collective worship. We sing in our music lessons, in our classrooms, in the playground, in the community, in concert halls and it is always at the heart of special celebrations and events.

Click to explore the Music Offer at Our Lady of Lourdes

Music Lessons Whole Class Instrumental offer Performing opportunities Extra curricular opportunities

All children from EYFS to Year 6 have a 30 mins curriculum lesson per week

In Year 2 and all of KS2, children will be given the opportunity to learn an instrument as part of their

curriculum music lessons

All children will be given opportunities through the school year to perform to their peers,

families and, in some cases, the wider community

KS2 Choir

The choir is open to all children in KS2.

The children attend weekly rehearsals after school.

All children have a weekly singing assembly.

Years 3 and 4 – Glock and Ukulele

Years 5 and 6 – Ukulele and Recorder

Year 2 children will have an introductory unit in Summer Term B using the glocks.

EYFS – Christmas Nativity, Stay and Pray and Class Assembly (Summer Term)

Year 1 - Christmas Nativity, Stay and Pray and Class Assembly

Year 2 - Christmas Nativity, Stay and Pray, Class Assembly and the Infant Music Festival

(March)

Year 3 – Carol Service, Stay and Pray and Class Assembly

Year 4 - Carol Service, Stay and Pray and Class Assembly

Year 5 - Carol Service, Stay and Pray, Class Assembly and Stations of the Cross

Year 6 - Carol Service, Stay and Pray, Class Assembly and the End of Yr 6 Production

Performance opportunities include:

Barnardos Concert – Royal Albert Hall – Nov (Yr 6 members)

Christmas Carol Service – OLOL Church (All KS2 children)

Joint School Concert with St Marys’s CofE Primary – Christmas Fundraising for St Vincent’s

Centre, Southend (Full Choir)

Southend Makes Music – Palace Theatre (Full Choir)

Junior Music Festival – Cliffs Pavilion (Year 5 and 6 members)

Summer Big Sing – School Hall for families (Full Choir)

   

MUSIC SHOWCASE

All children learning an instrument in (or out) of school are invited to

participate in our termly Music Showcase where they have the opportunity to perform a piece to an audience made up of a selected year group (chosen on a rota basis) and families.

We intend to restart our Recorder Club and Orchestra once practically possible.

Once we are able, we will seek opportunities for the children to experience hearing live

music making in/ out of school.

 
Click below to see our music curriculum coverage by year group. 

Reception

Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2

All about me:

vocal sounds; timbre; echo back.

Movement to music - pulse

Listening games

Simple composition

Autumn/Christmas:

Tempo

Moving to music

 

Performing: EYFS Nativity

Winter/Food Glorious Food:

Dynamics

Tempo

Exploring and creating sound

Once Upon A Time/Spring
Pitch
Timbre

Dynamics
Simple sound effects for characters
Playing untuned percussion to a pulse
Sounds - simple symbols

Transport and Travel
Clapping word rhythms
Partner songs
Listening/responding

Vocalising chants with others
Move to a pulse
Listen to music from different genres and cultures
To begin to show an awareness of melodic shape

To continue to develop listening stamina

Pets/ Jungle/ Under the Sea/ Down on the Farm:
Naming/ describing sounds of perc (untuned and introtuned)
Making and recording (graphic notation)

musical patterns
Singing

Year 1 and year 2

  Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring Summer 1 Summer 2
1 Exploring Rhythm / Pulse/ Duration
 

Exploring Vocal Sounds

KS1 Nativity
 

Exploring Pitch, Symbols and Sounds Exploring Tempo/Timbre/ Dynamics 

Composition
Sound effects for poems 
Creating soundscapes for stories 

2

 

All as above plus additional areas  

Plus

 

Infant Music Festival

 

Plus

 

Introduction to glockenspiels
(reading graphic notation)
Introduction to  pentatonic scales

Listening opportunities through music/singing assemblies:

Autumn

 

 

Spring

 

 

Summer

Comparing music

Mars by Holst/ Star Wars 
Memories Maroon 5/ Pachabel Canon

Tchaikovsky : Nutcracker Excerpts

Black History Month
Aritha Franklin
Louis Armstrong – jazz – What a Wonderful World
James Brown: I Feel Good (FUNK)
Indian Raga – link to Diwali

Instruments of the Orchestra
Carnival of the Animals: Saint-Saens
Young Person’s Guide : Britten

Chinese New Year: traditional Chinese music 
St Patrick’s Day: Traditional Irish music
Vivaldi Four Seasons
 

World Music

Little Train of Caipira – Villa Lobos
Earth – Hans Zimmer
Tropical Bird – Trinidad Steel Band

Sitting On The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

     

KS2

  Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring Summer
3/4

Rhythm/ Pulse/ Duration/ Notation

Exploring Vocal Sounds

Pitch

Years 3 and 4: Whole Class: GLOCK 

Chinese - pentatonic

Composition

Years 3 and 4

Whole Class: UKULELE

 

5

Rhythm/ Pulse/ Duration/ Notation

Dave Brubeck: Take Five (JAZZ)

INTRO: Beethoven: Symp 5 (1st Movement)

Introduction to tempo and duration

Exploring Vocal Sounds

 

Pitch

 

Whole Class: RECORDER

 

Year 5 - Easter: Stations of The Cross

 

 

Composition

Whole Class: UKULELE+

 

Using simple chords to write a class song – accompanying on ukes and glock

6

Rhythm/ Pulse/ Duration/ Notation 

Brubeck – Unsquare Dance

Exploring Vocal Sounds

Pitch

 

Whole Class: RECORDER

Recorder (cont)

 

Year 6 Leavers' Production

Listening opportunities through music/singing assemblies:

Autumn

 

 

 

Spring

 

 

 

Summer

Comparing:
Mars by Holst/  Star Wars Theme
Maroon 5: Memories/  Pachelbel Canon 

 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH - OCT
James Brown: I Feel Good (FUNK)
Louis Armstrong: What a Wonderful World (Jazz)
Aritha Franklin – Respect (R+B)

 

Tchaikovsky : Nutcracker Excerpts

(link to ballet visit)
Diwali: Indian Classical Music

Music that tells a story:
Night On a Bare Mountain: Borodin
Danse Macabre: Saint-Saens
Stravinsky – The Firebird

 

FILM/ TV MUSIC
Hans Zimmer      John Williams    Danny Elfman       Rachel Portman      Liam Bates (Q and A)
Chinese traditional music and drumming – Chinese New Year
St Patrick’s Day – Trad Irish (show ti whistle, harp and bodhran)

Jai Ho 
Peter Grimes: Sea Interludes – Britten
Sea Shanties
Cuba - Mamba AND Mambo (West Side Story)
Earth – Hans Zimmer

 

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations:

Here’s To the Queen song
Sea Shanties
Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance
Learn verse 1 National Anthem

Alongside singing opportunities:

2 and 3 part canon singing.