At Greenfields, we believe that music empowers children and gives them an outlet to express themselves creatively.

Leader: Mrs Wilson

At Greenfields we provide a broad, balanced and progressive music curriculum which is taught as a discrete subject linking to our school values- be brave and be bold. We aim for our music provision to be embedded and exceed the national curriculum and to support our pupils to realise their music potential.

The primary music national curriculum for KS1 and KS2 covers the following:

• Singing
• Playing tuned and untuned instruments
• Listening to recorded and live music
• Composing and improvising
• Understanding music history
• Understanding notation

It tells us teaching music in primary school requires facilitating children to “perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, musical genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians”. However, at Greenfields we want it to be more than this. We want to create future musicians, empower our children to understand and talk about music and teach all children to learn how to play an instrument, understand and read notation and compose their own music before they leave primary school. We recognise that our children are the future of music and teach in innovative ways to capture their interests and recognise their potential in becoming a musician, including the use of music technology. 

High quality school music education consists of three distinct, but interlinked areas of provision;

As soon as our children start with us at Greenfields, Music is high on our agenda. We strive to deliver high-quality music provision for all pupils in the three areas of curriculum, co-curricular and enrichment, and against the following key features:

• Timetable discrete curriculum music sessions
• Clear, music progression through our carefully planned out music curriculum starting in our Early Years
• Access to lessons across a range of instruments
• A school choir with opportunities to perform outside of school hours
• A school band
• Our fully equip music room
• Termly school performances 
• Opportunities for our children to enjoy live music 

Singing really is an integral part of our school day. Each week we gather as a whole school for a singing assembly with songs which match the season or theme we are learning about. The children learn alongside each other and perform at half termly assemblies. In the Autumn term the children have three four opportunities to perform including; harvest festival, remembrance day service, carol singing in our local church and Christmas performances. 

We work closely with a North Tyneside Music Hub tutor who this year is developing our music offer by teaching after school ukulele club. Our Hub tutor also hosts ‘Band Club’ which is an after school opportunity for inspired musicians to come along and create something special. This offer is for children in Key Stage 1 and 2. 

This year our Muddy Bairns (Early Years) are working with Ashleigh Lowes, a vocalist and community musician. We are taking part in an Early Years Music project, with North Tyneside Music Education Hub, and our 2-year old group. We believe that nurturing a love of music and music making in a child’s formative years will help to support their overall development and their musical development in the future, as well as positively impacting their wider mental and physical well-being, whilst having lots of fun. As part of the project, we like to involve our families, including inviting them along to our ‘Families Make Some Noise’ session. Our families can join us and make some music with your little ones, play some games, learn some new songs and sing some of the classics.

Your child may come home talking about their learning. Here are our musical terms and definitions;

The Winter Sing at Whitley Bay Playhouse

Every year our choir get the opportunity to perform at the Whitley Bay Playhouse. This is a fantastic opportunity for them and every year we are blown away by our amazing children.

We learn to play Musical Instruments in every year group

Music Lessons with trained experts

Classes and groups of children have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument in their music lessons. Our very own music hub tutor delivers after-school sessions for children who want to learn to play the ukulele and also hosts ‘Band Club'.