We are now an official Music Mark school. We have been recognised for the commitment we have placed on providing the children of St Thomas with a high quality music education.

The National Curriculum

The National Curriculum for Music for Key Stage 1 and 2 provides children with access to a wide range of Music that will enable them to have access to the greatest of art forms.

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.

Subject Aims

Music is a foundation subject within the National Curriculum. The aims of teaching music are consistent with our school's Mission Statement in that we recognise each child's uniqueness and worth in the eyes of God, and that all children are given the opportunity to reach their potential. At St Thomas of Canterbury, we understand the importance of providing an exciting and engaging Music education for all children, and to provide opportunities for children to progress to excellence: We ensure that we:

• Provide a music curriculum which is broad and balanced
• Encourage children to enjoy musical activities and to provide them with the skills and confidence to participate in musical activities with personal satisfaction
• Provide children with a means to express ideas and feelings through sound
• Assist each child to develop a positive self-image and self –confidence
• Develop a sensitive response to sound and music
• Eventually provide a curriculum which progressively develops the inter-related skills of performing, composing and appraising in all activities and extend these skills by applying listening skills, concepts and knowledge
• Develop insight through music into areas of experience, some of which cannot be easily verbalised
• Promote positive attitudes towards, and enthusiasm for, music work in school
• Develop social skills and awareness whilst making music together
• Promote skills, attitudes and attributes that can support learning in other subject areas, and that are needed for life and work.

Through the implementation of the New National Curriculum, we ensure that all children have opportunities to:

• Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• Learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations

Wider opportunities at St Thomas of Canterbury

At St Thomas of Canterbury there are numerous wider opportunities to support the teaching of music. These include:

A specialist MAPAS teacher, teaching in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 once a week

Tom Morris basis his music teaching on what the children are being taught in English or other foundation subjects. He teaches the children to use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes. The children are being taught to play tuned and untuned instruments musically and listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music. As well as experimenting with, selecting, creating and combining sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

A specialist MAPAS teacher, teaching in Years 5 and 6 once a week

Richard Charles teaches music based on what the children are learning in foundation subjects, building upon what the children have learnt in Key Stage 1. The three main topics for Year 5 are Victorian England, Mayans and Ancient Greeks and for Year 6 the three main topics are World War 2, Europe and Slavery. The children not only learn about music; they are able become musicians who are able to share and perform using their new skills. They are being taught to perform mainly complicated rhythms and use their knowledge to analyse songs and instrumental performances. They will also be focusing on using intwining melodies and harmonies to create and perform their own songs as well as performing in groups.