Primary Curriculum School Development

Support Programme Planning Support

foghlaim agus forbairt

Clocha Rince NS

Whole School Plan for

Music

AN ROINN DEPARTMENT OF
OIDEACHAIS EDUCATION
AGUS AND
EOLAÍOCHTA SCIENCE

© Clocha Rince NS 2013

 Music
 Title – Clocha Rince NS Whole School Plan for Music – a work in
progress

 Introductory Statement and Rationale

(a) Introductory Statement-
This policy was developed by the school staff during the 2013/2014 school year. It was
further developed and ratified by the Board of Management at a meeting on Thursday 20th
June 2013.
This plan will form the basis of each teacher’s long and short term planning in Music and so
will influence teaching and learning in individual classrooms. It will inform new or
temporary teachers of our approaches and methodologies in this subject area.

(b) Rationale
We recognise Music as an integral part of the Arts curriculum. ‘Music is an art form deeply
rooted in human nature. It is a discrete body of knowledge, a unique form of communication
and a means by which feelings and interests are organised and expressed. It is a profoundly
satisfying area of individual and shared experience. Music offers lifelong opportunities for
the development of imagination, sensitivity, inventiveness, risk-taking and
enjoyment’(Music Curriculum page 5)

 Vision and Aims

(a) Vision
Music education is part of a balanced curriculum which aims to develop the whole spectrum
of the child’s intelligence. Music involves learning in the major domains of knowledge,
skills, attitudes and feelings and the senses. It is our shared vision that music in our school
will enable the pupils to develop these domains through this learning. It is our vision that
Music in our school will be evident in the joy of the shared music experience and evident in
the opportunities presented within our school to experience musical activity, alone or with
others, which will contribute towards developing the child’s creativity and self-esteem.

(b) Aims
We endorse the aims of the Music Curriculum as outlined in the Music Curriculum
document pg. 4.
 To enable the child to explore, clarify and express ideas, feelings and experiences
through a range of arts activities
 To provide for aesthetic experiences and to develop aesthetic awareness in the visual
arts, in music, in drama, in dance and in literature
 To develop the child’s awareness of, sensitivity to and enjoyment of visual, aural,
tactile and spatial environments
 To enable the child to develop natural abilities and potential, to acquire techniques,
and to practise the skills necessary for creative expression and for joyful participation
in different art forms
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  To enable the child to see and to solve problems creatively through imaginative
thinking and so encourage individuality and enterprise
 To value the child’s confidence and self-esteem through valuing self-expression
 To foster a sense of excellence in and appreciation of the arts in local, regional,
national and global contexts, both past and present
 To foster critical appreciation of the arts for personal fulfilment and enjoyment

Short Term Aims

 to develop and agree a school plan on music selection in the various classes
 to develop a whole school approach to music literacy

 Curriculum Planning
1. Strands and Strand Units
Each teacher is familiar with the strand and strand units, content objectives for his/her class level
and indeed for each other’s class levels. This is to ensure a coherent programme throughout the
school.
The strand and all strand units must be covered each year as must all content objectives.

Teachers will adhere to the Whole School Plans developed and appended to this document. Teachers
will ensure that the music content as outlined in the appended documents will form the minimum
content for their class level.

Planning
Each teacher will prepare a long term yearly plan for Music which will be informed by this Plan.

Each teacher will ensure that the music content for their class will be covered at a minimum during
the school year and will be recorded in their fortnightly plans and Cuntas Míosúil.

2. Approaches and Methodologies

We will ensure that the approaches an methodologies used will

 Foster enjoyment in music making
 Seek to develop the skills, understanding, knowledge and attitudes of the child
 Allow for musical growth and the development of creativity in the child

Listening and Responding

Children will be encouraged to listen actively and to focus on what happens in the music by
experiencing enjoyable and varied music.

Music examples will be played several times and often to present the children the opportunity to
respond in a variety of ways.

Teachers will endeavour to include the following in the music material;

 Recorded music
 Tuned and unturned percussion instruments
 Environmental objects – metals, wools and fibres
 A child in the class studying an instrument privately
 School instruments
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  A musician
 Live music group, band or choir

Teachers will adopt the approaches as outlined in TG pg 70 – 88 for Performing- Song Singing and
pg. 104 – 109 for Performing – playing instruments.

Teachers will adopt the approaches as outlined in the TG pg 110 – 119 for the Composing Strand.

3. Linkage and Integration

Music can be linked and integrated with all the other curricular areas.
Music may also be used as a starting point in itself when presenting content from another curricular
area, where the objectives are primarily drawn from other curricular areas. Ie Music is used as a
methodology.

4. Assessment and Record Keeping

As in all subject areas, assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning of Music.
We as a staff have a common understanding of its purpose and the ways in which the progress of
children in Music will be assessed, documented and reported.
Assessment in Music in our school will fulfil the following roles :
• A diagnostic role – to identify areas of difficulty in the child’s development of Music
concepts in order to respond to the needs of the child.
• A summative role- to establish the outcomes of learning after completing a unit of music.
• An evaluative role – to assist teachers in assessing their own practice, methodologies,
approaches and resources.

We recognise that assessment techniques used in Music must seek to assess progress in the pupils
development of
a) A sense of pulse
b) A sense of duration
c) A sense of tempo
d) A sense of pitch
e) A sense of dynamics
f) A sense structure
g) A sense timbre
h) A sense of texture
i) A sense style
The assessment tools we will use will range from the informal means to the more structured
approaches.
Methods we will use are ;

• Teacher observation of the children’s development in Drama

• Music in the SALF.
• Teacher designed tasks and tests at the end of units of work.
• Self Assessment – pupils in older classes can be given the Music Checklists to discuss their
music in this context.
• ICT – digital photographs, video images, web sites. (Teachers will be cognisant that parental
consent may not have been granted for the use of digital imaging.)

These records will inform the teacher of the progress of the child; the effectiveness of teaching
methodologies employed and will also inform future planning.

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The assessment records will form the basis for reporting and discussing the child’s progress with
parents. This information will be relayed at Parent Teacher Meetings and in annual school reports.

5. Equality of Participation and Access

• Equal opportunity will be given to every child to experience all strands

• All children will have equal opportunities to participate in music lessons and activities.

• Provision for children with physical difficulties will be made so that they can access the
music curriculum.

• If we have children whose first language is not English, they will be supported in accessing
the music curriculum also.

 Organisational Planning
6. Timetable
In keeping with the recommendations in the Primary School Curriculum Introduction (page 70) a
minimum of 2 ½ hours per week is devoted to Arts Education in infant classes and a minimum of
three hours per week for classes 1st to 6th.

One hour of this time will be spent on Music in Senior Classes, 45 minutes in Junior classes
*On occasion, time will be blocked as appropriate. This might occur when
- working on a integrated project

Teachers may use discretionary curriculum time (2 hours per week) for Music as appropriate.
Teachers have been given the flexibility to reduce time spent on Arts Education subjects as noted in
our Literacy & Numeracy Strategy.

7. Resources and ICT

Our school is very well resourced with musical instruments. These instruments are made available
to all teachers. Musical instruments are stored in the Resource Room and in the Hall Storeroom.
We will ensure that pupils are afforded the opportunity to manipulate and construct materials to
make music and rhythm.
Digital recording devices are available to record the children’s musical compositions.
8. Health and Safety
We have a Health and Safety policy in place in our school which covers safety concerning various
aspects of classroom organisation. Teachers will consult with the Principal/Deputy Principal
whenever it is proposed to engage in any work outside the school grounds.
During Music teachers will be aware of the safety implications of any work to be undertaken
especially when handling musical instruments and/or making musical instruments.

9. Individual Teachers’ Planning and Reporting

 Teachers will consult this whole school plan and the curriculum documents for Music when they are
drawing up their long and short term plans.
 Each teacher will have a long term plan for the year.
 Music will be a regular and evident element of the child’s classroom experience.
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  Where it is meaningful and suitable music will be taught in a thematic way to integrate with the other
subjects
 Cuntas míosúil will assist in recording work covered in evaluating progress in music and in
informing future teaching
 Parents are informed of children’s progress in music at parent teacher meetings and in end of year
report cards.

10. Children with different needs

It is important that all children experience a rounded arts education. Drama plays a pivotal role in
this education and so we will do our best to ensure that every child will have opportunities to engage
in learning activities appropriate to their abilities. Drama is particularly relevant to children with
special needs because of its nature and the unique learning experience it has to offer.
• Teachers will use a mixture of whole-class teaching and group work, with different groups
set tasks of various complexities.
• Teachers will be conscious of any physical and/or emotional restrictions that may inhibit the
pupil from partaking in the drama experience.
• Children may be able to explore and deal with questions of choice and conflict by distancing
themselves in the fictional context.
• Drama will contribute to every child’s self-esteem and allow each child, including those with
special needs, scope for self-expression and self-realisation.
All teachers will familiarise themselves with the Guidelines for Children with General Learning
Disabilities ( NCCA) in this regard

11. Staff Development

 Teachers will have access to reference books, resource materials and websites dealing with
music.
 Staff will be encouraged to research and try out new approaches and methodologies. The
Methodology of the Month will focus (not solely) some attention to the particular
methodology.
 The ISMT will be responsible for keeping resource material up to date and will arrange for
opportunities for resources to be assessed for purchase and for new approaches to be piloted
in the school
 Teachers will be encouraged to attend in-service workshops and courses in music. They will
up-skill other staff members in what they have learnt at staff meetings.
 Our school has a culture where teachers share their expertise, good experience and practice
with others.

12. Parental Involvement

Parents are encouraged to support their children’s music activities by encouraging active listening,
discussing attitudes towards and taste in music, allowing time and space to practise or improvise on
an instrument, and by encouraging positive attitudes to music in general and to school-based
activities in particular. Parents are sometimes invited to attend school or classroom music events,
playing the role of critical listeners or supportive audience members for children’s performance, or
assisting in the supervision of movements of children. At times, the skills of parent-musicians will
be included when planning for live performances or when creating a class composition. At times
also, the Parents’ Association may be involved in the organisation of workshops by visiting

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musicians.

13. Community Links

There are musicians in the locality who can work with the children and/or perform for the children,
and, on special occasions, they are invited to do so.
We will assist with choir for religious ceremonies.
We will engage with local music teachers to facilitate and support their teaching of musical
instruments to pupils who will from our school orchestra.
We will hold an annual recital of the school orchestra for parents and members of the local
community.

 Success Criteria
We will review this whole school plan under the following headings
 Are individual teachers preparing planning and teaching according to this plan?
Are we using a variety of methodologies?
 How are the children’s music skills progressing?
 How well is music knowledge being learned by the children?
 Are we assessing our music as outlined in the plan?
 Have we acquired the resources we needed?

Ways of assessing this plan will be

 Revisiting the plan as a staff
 Teacher feedback
 Parental feedback
 Children’s feedback
 Inspectors reports and suggestions

 Implementation
Roles and Responsibilities
The plan will be supported, developed and implemented by all staff members.

All staff will be responsible for:

 Implementation of whole school approaches in musical literacy

 Purchase , maintenance and storage of resources – ISMT
 Leading the prioritised methodologies – Colm Byrne.
 The development of ICT as a tool for teaching and learning in Music and the vetting of
websites.

 Review
 It will be necessary to review this plan on a regular basis to ensure optimum implementation of
the history curriculum. We aim to review this plan during the 2013/2014 school year.
 On this date we will refer to the tasks here in our action plan and check that they have been
completed in accordance with the agreed timeframe.
 Those involved in the review will be Class Teachers
Principal

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 BOM
PDST if appropriate

 Ratification
This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on Thursday 20th June 2013.

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 Plan for Irish Music
Rang
Irish Music Irish Solo Traditional Traditional Concert Music
Group Artist Irish Music Irish Music in by Irish
Compilations Modern Style Composer
Nai. Sois Kila
Altan Matt Molloy

Naí. Sins Seoda Sean Riverdance

Altan Nós as Tír
Chonaill
1 Enya
Chieftans Sharon
Shannon
2 Traditional Ronan
Chieftans Music of Hardiman –
Ireland Lord of the
Dance
3 John Spillane Noirín Ní Riain
Clannad

4 Traditional Patrick Cassidy

Clannad Music of Clare – The Children
and Kerry of Lir
5 Christy Moore Micheál O
Kila Súilleabháin

6 River of Sound Seán O Riada

Kila RTE – Mise Eire

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 Music Eras – Music and Composer
Each Class studies two composers from different eras

Rang
Baroque Era Classical Era Romantic Era Modern Era
1600 - 1750 1750 - 1820 1820 - 1920

Nai. Sois Vivaldi Haydn

Naí. Sins Mandlessohn Holtz

1 Mozart Saint-Saens

2 Handel Debussy

3 Strauss Stravinsky

4 Bach Mozart

5 Vivaldi Britten
Young Persons
Guide to the
Orchestra
6 Beethoven Wagner

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 Music in Various Styles
Rang Other
Folk Jazz Country Swing Blues Soul Rock Popular Opera Films Musicals Cultures
and and Roll Music
Western
Nai. Simon & Hank Billie Beatles Engelbert Strouse-
Sois Garfunkel Williams Holliday Humperdinck Annie
Naí. Louis Duke Otis U2 Disney Bushfire-
Sins Armstrong Ellington Redding Film Didgeridoo
Music
1 Simon & Hank BB King Beatles Mozart R&H
Garfunkel Williams The Magic The
Flute (The Sound Of
Bird Catcher Music
Song)
2 Louis Duke Otis One Disney Chineese
Armstrong Ellington Redding Direction Film Classical
Music Folk Music
3 Joni Patsy Bessie Rolling Offenbach Bart-
Mitchel Cline Smyth Stones Oliver
4 Leonard Count Tina Cranberries John Adzido –
Bernstein Basie Turner Williams Under
– What is ET, Jaws, African
Jazz Superman Skies
5 Bob Patsy Ella Beach Puccini Gilbert &
Dylan Cline Fitzgerald Boys Nessun Sullivan –
Dorma & The HMS
Humming Pinafore
Choris
6 Leonard Glen Arethra Oasis Hans Bushfire
Bernstein Miller Franklin Zimmer Didgeridoo
– What is Pirates of
Jazz the
Carribean
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