Curriculum Music at Forest Fields

At Forest Fields, we aim to provide an ambitious and engaging music curriculum taught through weekly music lessons.
The expectations for children leaving primary school are high. We expect our Year 6s to be able to read and notate music, play at least one tuned instrument and a number of untuned instruments with some fluency and musicality, critically analyse music, improvise and compose music, and have an understanding of music history.

To ensure that this happens, we have a clear progression of knowledge, skills and understanding mapped out from Foundation through to KS2 by our music specialist in training, Ms Cawley, who teaches curriculum music from Year 1 to Year 6. Medium-term planning dictates that each music lesson from Y1 to Y6 consists of the following elements:
Music Theory (Notation and Music History)
Music Practice (Singing, Listening, Composing, Musicianship, Performance)

At Forest Fields, we believe in a solid musical foundation that can blossom over the children's time at school. We therefore focus on the following Foundations of Musical Learning as a basis for all music learning.

Children in EYFS and Key Stage 1 can learn and practice these foundations with Ms Cawley at home with these handy video links!

Click on this image to start!

Music Assembly Videos

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Musician of the Month

To further support musical learning in and outside of school, Ms. Cawley provides Musician of the Month video lessons with many other curriculum music aspects included for the children to enjoy in class with their teacher or at home with their families.

Click on this image for more details!

Year 4 String Ensemble
 

We are incredibly lucky at Forest Fields to work with Nottingham Music Service to provide an introduction to instruments from the string family (violin, viola and cello) in Year 4. As well as curriculum music lessons with Ms. Cawley in Year 4, our children have the opportunity to learn a stringed instrument with Rachel and Amy from the NMS and continue their learning into Year 5 and Year 6 with Area Band and small group lessons. 

Area Band & String Lessons

In Y5 and Y6, as well as Curriculum Music lessons with Ms. Cawley, children have the opportunity to continue their stringed instrument lessons as part of an after-school Area Band ensemble with a member of staff from Nottingham Music Service. Some of these children will also have the opportunity to attend a residential Music Camp where they learn more about Music Notation, play their instrument with other children and professionals and experience outdoor activities as part of the residential in the beautiful Peak District. Area band have numerous opportunities to perform in concerts during the year facilitated by Nottingham Music Service i.e. The Great Orchestra Experiment, Christmas in the City and End of Year Concert.

These children also receive small group lessons from a peripatetic teacher linked to the NMS and they have the opportunity to take exams towards Music Accreditation resulting in a Music Medal or ABRSM Grade Examinations depending on their capability.

If a child shows accelerated progress in their music lessons, they are invited to join Robin Hood Youth Orchestra InterConnect (if a child is moving through their grade accreditation in year 5 and 6, they can join this group in preparation for joining the Robin Hood Youth Orchestra when they begin secondary school) or Folk Connect. Both of these groups take place outside of school time and with children from other schools.

Forest Fields Area Band performing at the Albert Hall - December 2021

Recorder Club

Recorder club is held at lunchtime with Miss Speers and members of Year 6. If you happen to pop in, you will hear many different genres of music played; some you can tell are definitely their favourites!

Choir Group with Mrs Davies - coming soon!

Watch this space...

Annual Music Day at Forest Fields

Our big musical showcase each year is at the end of June.

We dress up as our favourite musician, perform, listen and explore new musical concepts... but most of all - have fun!

There is so much musicality to celebrate at Forest Fields!

Have a look at what we got up to in June 2021 by clicking on this image!