Music
At Prendergast Primary, music is for everyone. Music runs through our school and spreads across our creative curriculum, bringing together all parts of the school Community.
We are firm believers in the power of music to support and inspire children in all areas of their learning. Through music, children explore their creativity, exercise discipline and broaden their imagination. As such, you’re bound to find music all around Prendergast Primary, from the moment school opens, to the very end of the day.
Music is taught by class teachers, with specialist support; our curriculum uses rhythm as the foundation for Music learning. As pupils become more secure with the concepts of pulse, tempo, duration and rhythm, they begin to explore and combine other inter-related dimensions of Music: pitch, dynamics, structure, texture and timbre. Across these dimensions, children learn to read and write a range of notations including graphic scoring and formal staff notation. Children listen, perform and compose in a wide variety of contexts. Singing is a fundamental part of Music learning; children become familiar with existing compositions by singing sections and arrangements, and create their own Music, using their voice as a key tool. In and out of Music lessons, the joy and skills of singing thread through learning.
We use Charanga Musical School to supplement our class teaching and to guarantee coverage of key skills and knowledge across the primary years. Please see links for Knowledge Organisers and progression of Key Vocabulary for each year group.
Our hands-on and practical approach to music provision, ensures that every child is singing and playing every week they’re at school. With fantastic links to Lewisham Music, the London Symphony Orchestra and a variety of arts organisations, we can recommend plenty of musical activities and events for our children to enjoy outside of school and in the holidays too.
Beyond our curriculum provision, we offer a wide range of extra-curricular musical activities, lessons and clubs. Our school choir enjoys regular performances at school and in public where we always get a very warm response. We offer a variety of peripatetic lessons and ensembles including keyboard, recorder, guitar, ukulele and violin.
Be it learning the glockenspiel, recording a soundtrack for a traditional tale, composing a rap, experimenting with notation or simply listening for enjoyment, we believe music should play a part in every child’s life and we know it plays a key role in the life of our school.
