Lower School Music
Key Stage 2 Curriculum
Music plays a central role in the life of our school. The OLA Key Stage 2 Music curriculum provides all children with one class lesson of Music a week and the whole school meets for a weekly hymn practice. In lessons we use a variety of resources including the Music Express and Music All the Time courses and the lesson plans from the BBC’s 10 Pieces programme in line with the National Curriculum. In addition to the choir and orchestra, there is a very popular African Drumming club and all the children in Year 3 are taught how to play the recorder and read music.
Individual Tuition
All children have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument with highly experienced professional musicians. Lessons in violin, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, drums, guitar, saxophone, bassoon, french horn, trumpet, trombone and piano take place in our Senior School. Children take the ABRSM music examinations and Year 6 pupils are encouraged to compete for Music Scholarships in the Senior School for Year 7.
Individual instrumentalists play at our Friday assemblies to give them valuable performing experience. Organised concerts are an opportunity to show off their skills and play in front of an audience.
Co-Curricular
The school has an orchestra for children and staff which welcomes both beginners and more experienced players. Staff play alongside the children enabling them to experience the fun and camaraderie of playing together. The choir performs regularly at Open Mornings, concerts, assemblies, school events and leads the singing at our chapel services.
Every other year the Lower School puts on a musical. Recent successes have included Bugsy Malone and Splash!
Whether it’s in the classroom, as a member of an ensemble or as a soloist, our aim is for each child to have the opportunity to experience the joy of music making.
Yearly Musical Events
MICHAELMAS TERM
Open Morning
Harvest Service
Infant Nativity
Carol Service at St Edmund’s Church
Carols at Bridge House
Carols at the Christmas Fair
HILARY TERM
Easter Service School Production (Bi-annual)
Easter Service
School Production (Bi-annual)
TRINITY TERM
Summer Concert (Bi-annual)
Leavers’ Mass
Lower School Music Stories
Amazing Africa Inspires Amazing Music from Years 5 and 6
The children in Years 5 and 6 have really enjoyed their cross curricular Amazing Africa topic this term.
They completed, Geography, History and English tasks. One of their favourites was creating African instruments during their Design Technology lessons with Mr Humphreys (Year 5) and with Miss Taylor (Year 6). They also learnt some African songs with Mr Farrow in Music lessons.
At the end of the last week they all joined together so the children could play their hand-made instruments. It was great for Mr Humphreys, Mr Farrow and Miss Taylor too, they even joined in with their own instruments!