Music

Music is taught from Nursery to Year 6. In the Nursery it is taught in the designated Foundation Stage area by the class teachers. From Reception (F2) to Year 6, all core music lessons take place in the designated music room and are taught by the music specialist teacher Miss Ni Mheara who is a contracted member of staff from Sing Education.

Our aims

St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music and our aim is that all children will develop a love of music and enjoy the experience of a well rounded musical education.  We aim to foster an understanding of the value and importance of music in order that they will continue to use their musical knowledge, skills and experiences to involve themselves further in musical activities within the wider community.  We make music an enjoyable learning experience we encourage all children to participate in a variety of musical activities through which we aim to build up their skills, knowledge, self- confidence,  love of music and a sense of achievement  from trying their best.  Children experience the music of some well-known composers and a variety of styles of music from different historical periods, cultures and traditions.

How we teach Music

Class music lessons are 40 minutes long and as we greatly encourage singing, children in years 1 to 6 have an additional 20 minutes singing - ‘Sing and Praise assembly”’ in which they rehearse and learn new hymns. The repertoire is built up so that these hymns can be sung in weekly Gospel Assemblies, Mass, Advent and Lent Reflections and any other collective worship. Children will have an opportunity to develop an awareness of the elements of music, sing, play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts.

They improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related elements of music. They will  appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians. Children will develop an awareness of the musical timeline /history of music.

We offer instrumental tuition in flute, violin and clarinet by visiting peripatetic instrumental teachers to pupils from Years 4 to Year 6 and a beginner’s recorder class is offered to pupils in Year 4. Children in Years 4 to 6 are invited to participate in the choir and orchestra.

Our children as musicians  

At St.Cecilia's, music helps to ignite a child’s interest and long term passion for music. As they progress from Nursery to Year 6, children enjoy a broad musical experience consisting of singing, performing, composing, listening and appraising. They have developed an awareness of these different aspects of music and gained in self confidence, equipping them to use these skills as they move on to high school and also within the wider community.