Music Provision

Aims for Music

At St. Anthony’s PS we aim to:

 · Promote self-confidence and self-esteem through the key activities of making and responding to music;

 · Develop listening skills involving concentrated listening, aural discrimination and memory;

 · Develop performing skills involving mental and physical co-ordination, verbal and non-verbal communication and memory;

 · Develop creative skills involving imagination, problem solving, verbal and non-verbal communication and memory;

 · Heighten children’s awareness of themselves and their immediate environment and that of other cultures.

Children in the Foundation Stage have the opportunity to:

 · Work creatively with sound;                             

· Sing and perform using simple instruments;

 · Listen and respond to their own and others’ music-making.

In Key Stage 1 the children have opportunities to:

 · Work creatively with sound by investigating, experimenting, selecting and combining sounds to express feelings, ideas, mood and atmosphere;

 · Sing and perform with simple instruments to develop vocal and manipulative control;

 · Listen and respond to their own and others’ music-making, thinking and talking about sounds, effects and musical features in music that they create, perform or listen to.

In Key Stage 2 the children have opportunities to:

 · Work creatively with sound by creating musical stories, pictures, patterns, conversations, accompaniments and by investigating ways of preserving the music they have created;

 · Sing and perform with simple instruments from memory, by ear or from notation to develop vocal and instrumental skills;

 · Listen and respond to their own and others’ music-making, thinking about, talking about and discussing a variety of characteristics within music that they create, perform or listen to.

 In St. Anthony’s PS a sense of enjoyment is fostered, along with the development of social skills and confidence in their music making, both as individuals and members of a group.

Celebration of Success and Display

 It is important that children’s success in music is acknowledged and celebrated appropriately. This will be done through:

 · recording children’s performance;

 · displaying children’s musical achievements in classrooms and other areas of the school;

 · performance of children’s work to class, year groups, school, parents, community and/or visitors.

Music Tuition

Woodwind and String tuition is provided by the E.A. Music Department. In St. Anthony’s we have secured 1 hour 50minutes of String tuition and 1 hour of Woodwind tuition. There are currently 18 children learning the violin and 4 children learning the clarinet. Parents hire the instruments from the Music Service and pay for lessons termly on the School Money App. Our Primary 4 children were given the option of learning the tin whistle this year and there are currently having a weekly lesson with the Woodwind teacher.

St. Anthony’s have also a guitar teacher who comes into the school and if anyone is interested  in learning the guitar contact the school office. Payment for lessons is made direct to the guitar teacher.

St. Anthony’s Instrumental groups

Children that play an instrument are encouraged to join the instrumental group and  prepare for all musical activities in school throughout the year including performances at Sacraments, Pre-Sacramental masses and all seasonal events.

St. Anthony’s Choir

All children from Primary 5 to Primary 7 have an opportunity to join the School Choir which practices once a week every Thursday afternoon. The choir prepare for performances such as Christmas Carol Services at local Shopping Centres, Nursing homes and Community groups. They also perform at Sacramental services for the School.

The staff at St. Anthony’s  recognises the importance of the contribution of music to the whole curriculum. The skills and attitudes developed through music can be beneficial to pupils across and beyond the wider school curriculum, for example, - fine motor skills, active listening skills, perceptual skills, interpersonal skills, creativity, cultural awareness, independence, self-discipline, dedication, concentration, self-confidence and ability to deal with symbolic representation.