“Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”

Plato

We value the importance of Music and using the subject as a vehicle for self-expression, communication and creativity. Music reflects culture and society and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in. It also plays an important role in helping children feel part of a community.

The content of our Music Curriculum fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum for Music and comprises both substantive and disciplinary knowledge.

Substantive Knowledge in Music: 

• this is the key knowledge, or inter-related dimensions of music (rhythm, pulse, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, metre and structure)

Disciplinary Knowledge in Music:

• this is the application and interpretation of substantive knowledge (the inter-related dimensions of music) through performance, composition, appreciation and understanding of the history of music.

Specialist music teaching

Valentine have worked closely with the Southampton Music Hub – we have invested a significant sum in sourcing and procuring music specialist teachers to enable us to build an ambitious curriculum that builds schema through the wider non-core curriculum. It is our ambition that children have the best teaching of this subject, from those with a qualified background in music delivery.  

All children at Valentine are engaged in high quality music education provided by Showcase Music. Each year, children build upon their prior learning and broaden their knowledge using the skills: performing, composing, theory, evaluating, personal development and cultural development. Children become curious, confident and enthusiastic musicians during their musical journey. 

In Year R, children begin their musical journey with learning familiar songs and nursery rhymes, animal songs and exploring beat and rhythm. In Years 1 & 2, children begin learning to play the recorder. With Showcase’s ‘Music on the Map’ scheme, children in Years 3 & 4 become confident and resilient performers by learning to play an instrument taught by specialist music teachers. Year 5 develop their music skills using percussion and Year 6 explore the Ukulele. 

Beyond the classroom.

Our children, due to context, are not regular theatre-goers and do not spend time attending concerts to listen and appreciate different types of music.  Our partnership with Southampton Music Hub means that this year, all year groups will experience opportunities to visit MAST (Mayflower Studios) and to participate in their performances.