St Helen's CE Primary School

Music:

Music is an extremely important part of the curriculum at St Helen’s Primary School and all the children have an opportunity to take part in a wide range of musical activities. All classes have a weekly music lesson. Weekly singing assemblies are lead by our music lead. 

Our vision for Music:

• We want music to be creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging at St Helen’s school.
• We want music to bring our community together through the shared endeavour of whole-school singing, ensemble playing, experimenting with the creative process and, through the love of listening to friends and fellow pupils, performing.
• We want children to see, and feel, the value in the positive effects music can have on our well-being and mental health.
• We want music to be an enjoyable learning experience which all pupils feel they can engage in.
• We want children to develop a wealth of music knowledge and genres to inspire them as individual musicians and composers.

Implementation:

• Music takes place every week in each class.  In addition to this, the whole school takes part in a singing worship time every Tuesday.
• Children are able to access individual or small group private music lessons learning a variety of instruments during the school day.
• There are regular music concerts at St Helen’s as well as individual music performances show casing the many instruments learnt through private sessions in school.
• Extra-curricular clubs run in African drumming and choir (2022/23).
• On a termly basis, the whole school gather at St Helen’s church to celebrate the term and sing together.
• Children are assessed informally through-out the year in music and formally assessed each term.
• We follow the Charanga Music Scheme at St Helen’s School.

In addition: 

Children regularly take part in community events, e.g. rotary carol concert, young voices, spring festivals and KS1 music festival, which brings schools together to be as one.

Learning a Musical instrument:

Learning to play a musical instrument is strongly encouraged at school and individual or group music lessons for guitar are provided by Hertfordshire Music Service. Currently, (June 2023) over 90 children have a weekly music lesson at school. An independent violin teacher also offers violin and recorder lessons here at school. In addition, lessons on instruments such as flute, clarinet, saxophone, cornet, trumpet, trombone, drums, piano and singing are available at school via Musicale in Harpenden. Some of our pupil premium pupils benefit from free or subsidised musical instrument lessons. Subsidised individual or group music lessons are also available from visiting music teachers for the violin, guitar, woodwind, brass, piano and drums (more information is available through the office).

Additional opportunities:

In addition, we have concerts thorughout the year and musical performances: allowing children an opporunity to celebrate their musical successes. In year 6, we perform an end of year musical production. Year 1 and 2, peform a nativity each year. Furthermore our children often perform songs in their class assembies, which happen twice a year.  We have been lucky enough this year (2022/23) to have performed at the Royal Gala at the Royal Albert Hall. and go to Wembly as part of Young Voices.