Discovery Bay International School

Music Education Plan

Introduction
This Education Plan is a statement of intent as to how the teaching and learning of music will be
carried out at Discovery Bay International School.

This Education Plan is consistent with our school philosophy and is based on:
The needs of our students
The strengths of our teacher
The resources available
The National Curriculum and QCA units of study
The core music expectations established for each year group (Years 1 – 6)

1. Learning Needs
Music is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change the way students feel, think
and act. It brings together intellect and feeling and enables personal expression, reflection and
emotional development. As an integral part of culture, past and present, it helps students understand
themselves and relate to others, forging important links between the home, school and the wider
world. The teaching of music develops student’s ability to listen and appreciate a wide variety of
music and to make judgements about musical quality. It encourages active involvement in different
forms of amateur music making, both individual and communal, developing a sense of group
identity and togetherness. It also increases self discipline and creativity, aesthetic sensitivity and
fulfilment.

At DBIS we focus on the learning journey for our students giving them opportunities to develop in
the four core areas of musical competence:

• Controlling sounds through singing and playing – performing skills

• Creating and developing musical ideas – composing skills
• Responding and reviewing – appraising skills
• Listening and applying theoretical knowledge and understanding

These core developments are woven into the specific objectives and student learning outcomes
planned within each unit of study.

2. Objectives

The specific objectives we work towards at DBIS are drawn from the QCA schemes of work and
adapted as appropriate to best meet our student needs, through differentiated planning. The specific
objectives for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 are notes below:
Key Stage 1:
Controlling sounds through singing and playing - performing skills
• Use their voices expressively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
• Play tuned and untuned instruments
• Rehearse and perform with others
Creating and developing musical ideas - composing skills
• Create musical patterns
• Explore, choose and organise sounds and musical ideas
Responding and reviewing - appraising skills
• Explore and express their ideas and feelings about music using movement, dance
and expressive and musical language
• Make improvements to their own work
Listening, and applying knowledge and understanding
• To listen with concentration and to internalise and recall sounds with increasing
aural memory
• How the combined musical elements of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre,
texture and silence can be organised and used expressively within simple structures
• How sounds can be made in different ways and described using given and invented
signs and symbols
• How music is used for particular purposes

Key Stage 2:
Controlling sounds through singing and playing - performing skills
• Sing songs, in unison and two parts, with clear diction, control of pitch, a sense of
phrase and musical expression
• Play tuned and untuned instruments with control and rhythmic accuracy
• Practise, rehearse and present performances with an awareness of the audience
Creating and developing musical ideas - composing skills
• Improvise, developing rhythmic and melodic material when performing
• Explore, choose, combine and organise musical ideas within musical structures
Responding and reviewing - appraising skills
• Analyse and compare sounds
• Explore and explain their own ideas and feelings about music using movement,
dance, expressive language and musical vocabulary
• Improve their own and others' work in relation to its intended effect
Listening, and applying knowledge and understanding
• To listen with attention to detail and to internalise and recall sounds with increasing
aural memory
• How the combined musical elements of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre,
texture and silence can be organised within musical structures and used to
communicate different moods and effects
• How music is produced in different ways and described through relevant established
and invented notations
• How time and place can influence the way music is created, performed and heard
Key Stage 3:
There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of music. Students need to understand
these concepts in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding.
Integration of practice
• Developing knowledge, skills and understanding through the integration of
performing, composing and listening.
• Participating, collaborating and working with others as musicians, adapting to
different musical roles and respecting the values and benefits others bring to musical
learning.
Cultural understanding
• Understanding musical traditions and the part music plays in national and global
culture and in personal identity.
• Exploring how ideas, experiences and emotions are conveyed in a range of music
from different times and cultures.
Critical understanding
• Engaging with and analysing music, developing views and justifying opinions.
• Drawing on experience of a wide range of musical contexts and styles to inform
judgements.
Creativity
• Using existing musical knowledge, skills and understanding for new purposes and in
new contexts.
• Exploring ways music can be combined with other art forms and other subject
disciplines.
Communication
• Exploring how thoughts, feelings, ideas and emotions can be expressed through
music.

Woven throughout the key concepts are a set of essential skills and processes. These are the
essential skills and processes in music that KS3 students need to learn to make progress.

Performing, composing and listening

Students should be able to:
• Sing in solo or group contexts, developing vocal techniques and musical expression;
• Perform with control of instrument-specific techniques and musical expression;
• Practise, rehearse and perform with awareness of different parts, the roles and
contributions of different members of the group, the audience and venue;
• Create, develop and extend musical ideas by selecting and combining resources
within musical structures, styles, genres and traditions;
• Improvise, explore and develop musical ideas when performing;
• Listen with discrimination and internalise and recall sounds;
• Identify the expressive use of musical elements, devices, tonalities and structures.

Reviewing and evaluating

Students should be able to:
• Analyse, review, evaluate and compare pieces of music;
• Identify conventions and contextual influences in music of different styles, genres
and traditions;
• Communicate ideas and feelings about music, using expressive language and
musical vocabulary to justify their opinions;
• Adapt their own musical ideas and refine and improve their own and others’ work.
3. Content

We take a progressive approach to the teaching of music encouraging core skill development and
creative expression by way of class lessons, individual instrumental lessons, choral groups and
school performances.

Students enjoy a wide range of activities and opportunities during their music lessons including
access to a range of learning technologies. The instrumental focus begins with percussion in the
Kindergarten and Junior Primary School. The theory of music is focused on from Year 1 onwards
so that the majority of our students are able to read and write music using traditional notation from
Year 4 onwards. In Year 3 students begin to learn the recorder and in Year 5 the guitar is
introduced. Students are guided in active construction of music skills and understanding by
interpreting and investigating repertoire from a variety of cultures, styles and time periods, being
exposed to visiting artist programmes, creating and presenting their own and others’ work and
making connections with what they already know and are currently investigating both in and
outside of school.

4. Learning Experience - Teaching Approach

Our teaching and learning approach is varied and focuses on the individual students. Planning is
differentiated to ensure consideration of needs is addressed from the outset and is responsive to
ongoing assessment and evaluation. Our teaching approach encompasses the following:

• Setting appropriate learning challenges;

• Responding to each student’s diverse learning needs;
• Creating effective learning environments;
• Striving to motivate students and maintain concentration through creative and well
planned learning experiences;
• Provision of equality of opportunity through teaching approaches such as
differentiation in planning;
• Application of valuable assessment strategies to contribute to better planning and
teaching;
• Setting targets for learning;
• Creation of effective learning environments in which the contribution of all students
is valued, all students can feel secure and are able to contribute appropriately;
• Making extensive use of resources available including ICT, instruments, teachers
particular strengths, students talents and interests and school wide facilities;
• Providing suitable extra curricular activities across the entire range of the expressive
and performing arts areas;
• Inclusion of appropriate learning technologies;
• Inclusion of a range of teaching strategies including: interactive questioning and the
application of an investigative studies model of learning where appropriate.

Music teaching, learning and assessment should reflect our school’s policies. Where distinct
learning models are encouraged within the school they are seamlessly incorporated into music
learning programmes as appropriate. There will be times when students are encouraged to
investigate / research to support their music learning. In such cases an investigative / enquiry
approach to learning is encouraged focusing on a what we know / what we want to find out / what
we now know model (consistent with the school wide approach).

Investigative Learning – Guidelines

Stage 1:
• A focus on what the student already knows about a topic of study. Gathering ideas,
accepting all suggestions, developing an open and collaborative environment.
• Working together to develop key questions to investigate that build on from current points
of understanding. Key questions should be open ended, delving questions that will stretch
their thinking and learning and present challenges.

Stage 2:
• Draw on all resources available.
• Gather information.
• Participate in learning activities to investigate questions further.
• Students ask themselves – what can we find out through our activities?

Stage 3:
• Review findings in terms of the key questions asked.
• Organise the findings to help clarify new learning and identify any gaps for further
investigation.
• Students to reflect – do they have enough information to answer their questions thoroughly?

Stage 4:
• Consider how best to share their learning in a meaningful way:
 Who is the audience?
 What design / form should the presentation take?
 Reflect on key questions.
• Formulate presentation.
• Students to consider the investigation so far and prepare to publish / share their presentation.

Stage 5:
• Present / share learning with others:
 Explain the investigative process undertaken.
 Communicate ideas and findings.

5. Planning
Refer to the School Planning and Preparation Policy

Planning should centre on what the learner will do, not what the teacher will do. Planning must
follow the parameters and direction of the preceding sections of this Education Plan.

Planning will include:

(i) A term overview that provides a review of the planned topic coverage for each year
group. Please use the provided term overview template, included in the Music
Planning and Assessment Guidelines. Your term overview is to be filed in your
respective Term Planning and Assessment folder.

(ii) Unit plans – these plans provide the critical link between national curriculum
 requirements for all students at given year levels and the specific learning overview
for students in your classes. The unit plan then provides the basis from which to
formulate your weekly planning.

To complete the unit plan you will need to refer to the listed KS1 and KS2 learning
objectives and student learning outcomes, you will also need to draw on assessment
data, professional judgment and learning contexts to define the most appropriate
learning targets for your class. As a music teacher you may well provide a similar
unit of work for several classes within each year level, differentiation between
classes and groups of students will be noted on your weekly planning.

The required attainment target information can be drawn from the listed music
Attainment Levels – KS1 and KS2. Please note the level / levels you are working
towards during the duration of the unit. This information provides a link to your
assessment data.

Noted activities should clearly show how you are planning to assist your students in
achieving the noted student learning outcomes during the unit timeframe. This is the
creative element of the unit planning process, where you as a teacher can provide a
range of motivating, exciting and challenging learning activities for your classes.

Please use the provided unit plan template, included in the Music Planning and
Assessment Guidelines. Your unit plans are to be filed in your respective Term
Planning and Assessment folders.

(iii) A Weekly Plan - Weekly planning should link directly to the targets identified in
your unit plan. A weekly plan gives the finer detail of a lesson and provides you
with a teaching guide. A weekly planning template has been provided for this
purpose. Your weekly plan should clearly indicate:
• The time of the lesson
• The class you will be working with
• A unit plan reference
• A teaching target/s
• Any planned differentiation

It should be clear enough for a supply teacher to pick up and follow, should the need
arise. Please use the provided weekly planning template, included in the Music
Planning and Assessment Guidelines. Your weekly plans are to be filed in your
respective Term Planning and Assessment folder.

6. Assessment / Evaluation
Refer to the School Assessment / Evaluation policy.

Both formative and summative assessment data are collected on one sheet per class for each
identified block of learning. The formative assessment data is gathered to provide you with
ongoing tracking of student development, providing you with a snap shot of how a student is doing
and allowing you to fine tune your planning to better accommodate their learning. The summative
assessment process reviews how a student did during the unit of study and puts an achievement
measure in place at that time.
The school wide assessment code is applied:
I Introduced
D Developing
C Confident / competent / consistent

When deciding on which learning objectives / student learning outcomes / other student learning
outcomes to assess it is of value to consider which activities and outcomes lend themselves to
providing assessable moments. The selected assessment outcomes will be drawn from the
objectives and outcomes identified on your unit plan. You may find you need to assess particular
learning outcomes more than once as a unit progresses. Ideally you would list 5/6 outcomes to visit
during a unit plus any core expectations you have selected and plan to assess.

At the completion of a unit you then need to give each student an end of unit attainment level. This
will indicate at any point in time what level a student is working on. For a student to move onto a
new level, there needs to be clear evidence that they are consistently, competently and confidently
demonstrating all the targets from the previous level. Guidelines as to the expected movement
through the levels are provided on the music attainment levels outline.

Please use the provided formative and summative assessment template, included in the Music
Planning and Assessment Guidelines. Your assessment data are to be filed in your respective Term
Planning and Assessment folder.

7. Resources
The following resources are available and to be used in conjunction with this Education Plan:

What: - Instruments, teacher and student reference material, online resources and learning
sites, interactive whiteboards, audio equipment, learning technologies and
associated software
Where: - Performing arts centre, music suites, practice rooms, ICT facilities, library and
library theatre
Who: - Music teaching staff, DP with responsibility for music, Music Coordinator and
music department staff, Music curriculum team

Developed:
Reviewed: