Music

"You can't solve your problems by just sitting there, so you might as well turn on some music and ROCK OUT!"
-Pete Townshend

At St Austin's, we want every child to be happy and enthusiastic learners of Music and to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their God-given talents. We firmly believe that the recipe for success is high quality teaching in Music, which is central to the life of our happy, caring school. 

We use Charanga in KS1 and Y3/4, which forms the basis of our music curriculum. Charanga is a fantastically engaging platform that allows children to explore all elements of Music through: 

- Understanding music in history and how it is created

- Music theory

- Improvisation

- Composing

- Listening and Appraising

- Playing

- Performing

In Y5/6 children are taught by a specialist Music teacher from BWH High School. All lessons are planned using the Model Music Curriculum.

As a part of our cultural capital, children will learn about key composers, periods of music and instruments from Music history.

At St Austin's we are have following musical opportunities:

• Weekly Music lessons (1 hour) taught by a BWH music specialist for Years 5 & 6, Charanga scheme taught by the class teacher in Years 3 and 4.
• Music lessons in KS1 follow the National Curriculum / Charanga 
• Guitar Lessons
• Clarinet Lessons 
• Flute Lessons
• Whole class Recorder lessons
• Whole class Glockenspiel lessons
• Choir - attended Young Voices each years from 2019 - 2024, performed at local nursing homes during the Christmas period, performed at Stafford Gatehouse (Feb 2020). 
• Y3/4 perform annually at St Mary's Church Christmas Tree Festival as well as with Manchester Camerata
• Whole school hymn practices
• One Life Music & faith retreats
• Cross-curricular singing opportunities (e.g. MFL / Geography)