Hi! I'm Mrs Mills and I am the Music Curator for Hayfield Lane Primary School

How will music equip the children in Hayfield Lane Primary School for their future?

Music is more than learning to play an instrument or to read a note on a sheet of music, research proves that from early in a child’s life music plays an important part in a child’s physical, social and emotional development. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words. Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression and for all children and adults, music helps strengthen mathematical and memory skills.

At Hayfield Lane Primary School, we embed music through their curriculum learning journeys, which can take many forms of musical exposure for children! From thinking about how a piece of music makes them feel, to thinking about the beat and tempo, as well as trying their skills with instruments in a range of ways. Alongside these sessions practical whole class instrumental sessions take place in year 4 and 5, taught by specialist teachers. Year 4 learn the Ukulele and Y5 have guitar lessons. Music lessons cover Singing, Listening & Appraising, Composing and Performing. These are studied each year, with the children being challenged at an ever increasing level as they are introduced to further musical learning on their journey through school.

Listening and Appraising

Throughout the year, children are taught to develop their ability to listen and appraise by careful consideration of the musical elements being presented and by developing their ability to assess the relative qualities of the music studied.  Our programmes of work includes music recommended  by the Model Music Curriculum, which ensures we use pieces from a wide range of cultures and traditions including Western classical music, Popular music and Traditional music from around the world.

Singing

Children are taught to sing and perform a wide range of songs. Through these they will have opportunities to develop good vocal production, careful listening and well developed pitch. By the end of year 6, pupils should be able to sing in harmony with musical delivery. The Model Music Curriculum ensures that children have a wide ranging repertoire that is age appropriate.

Composing

As pupils travel through the Key Stages, they develop the craft of creating melodies and fashion these into short pieces. Composition aids to develop reliable musical memory and includes recalling of melodic shapes, harmonic sequences, rhythmic patterns and sections of their compositions. 

Performing

The final strand of our teaching incorporates the others in order to develop finished pieces of work and to perform them for an audience. As part of this process, children plan how they hope their music will affect their audience. Children gradually build their confidence as performers and are encouraged to take an active part in the many musical opportunities available at Hayfield Lane Primary.

Additional Music lessons

At Hayfield Lane, we provide additional music tuition to Year 4 and 5 children FREE OF CHARGE. Year 4 children learn to play the ukulele and Year 5 build upon this by learning guitar. This provision is delivered by specialists from the DONCASTER MUSIC HUB. We believe that music is a powerful form of expression and that each child is given the opportunity to explore this interest. The work undertaken by the specialist tutors links to the school's music progression documents.

There are also opportunities for children to get involved with music through assemblies, performances within school and for families and as part of our school choir and Young Voices.