The music curriculum for all year groups is made up of the following strands:
• Understanding the dimensions of music: pulse, duration, rhythm, pitch, speed (tempo) loudness (dynamics), timbre, texture, structure through singing, body sounds and a variety of tuned and untuned percussion instruments.
• Singing a range of cross-curricular songs and hymns, as part of the termly topics in class and in preparation for the various seasonal Christian festivals and monthly church services, as well as for the Key stage productions throughout the year.
• Playing melodic instruments and experience of playing some orchestral instruments in class. The following are studied in more depth, paying attention to technique and quality of sound produced and as a way of developing an understanding of staff notation:
*Year 4 ( Descant recorder )
*Year 5 (Ukulele )
*Year 6 ( Keyboard )
• Performing music to a wide variety of audiences with expression and confidence.
• Composing and improvising new music to demonstrate an understanding of musical skills and themes.
• Listening to and appraising a wide variety of musical performances from different genres, both live and recorded.
Each term, the curriculum is built around key skills and knowledge:
What do we know?
What can we do?
In addition to the weekly class lessons, we are supported by Create Music (the county music hub) and Red Butler teachers, who offer individual and small group lessons at school on the following instruments: guitar, flute, drums, recorder, clarinet, violin, piano, keyboard, trumpet and singing. We also offer iRock lessons where the child rehearse and perform in small bands.
Please click the links to register and apply, or contact the school office for more information.
There are various events throughout the year when the children get the chance to perform in front of an audience, such as school worships, church festivals, the carol service and the end of year summer concert.
Children also get the chance to experience live music as part of visits to school or trips to local concert venues. Recently, we hosted a professional jazz band and have had recruitment performances by the woodwind teacher and IRock bands during school worships.
We have a flourishing school choir, a recorder club, and an new orchestra, open to all Key Stage Two children. The ensembles perform regularly in school and in the wider community at events, such as the Christmas Fair, carol singing at local Nursing Homes and at the Summer Fair.
A particular highlight was performing at the Proms4Praise concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London in March 2024.
Aims for the future are to further expand the musical opportunities available, including working towards a MusicMark, and to collaborate with other schools, where possible, in order to promote music and the performing arts at Fermor School.