Music
 

Our music curriculum is an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning. Interrelated dimensions of music weave through each project to encourage the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing. Each music project comprises the of strands of musical learning which correspond with the national curriculum for music: Listening and Appraising; musical activities and warm-up including singing, playing instruments, improvisation and composition; performing.
 

Our music curriculum enables children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills, enabling children to learn more, know more, and remember more.  Musical teaching and learning is not neat or linear; the strands of musical learning at Eton Wick are part of the learning spiral. Over time, children can both develop new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established musical skills and concepts. Repeating a musical skill doesn’t necessarily mean their progress is slowing down or their development is moving backwards. It's just shifting within the spiral. Mastery means both a deeper understanding of musical skills and concepts and learning something new.

Each term, the children learn and develop their musical skills through a core song which links with a particular style. Over the course of the year the children will cover a range of styles including reggae, classical, pop, rock and rap. 
 

By the time children enter Year 4, they have built a range of musical skills and understanding. Each year, in the autumn term we welcome a skilled group of boys from Eton College who co-plan and deliver a programme of music sessions tailored to both the national curriculum, and our school curriculum to teach to our Year 4 children. Children learn a range of songs which challenge their ability within rhythm, tonality, and timbre, including part-singing. This culminates in a concert at Eton College, exposing the children to different performance venues.