Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bristol Music Curriculum suitable for all children?

The lessons have been split into Year groups from Reception to Year 6 and can be used either as stand-alone music lessons celebrating Bristol-associated themes, or as a comprehensive musical pathway devised to enhance other areas of the curriculum. These resources are suitable for all children but you may want to adapt them so they are easier or harder, longer or shorter.

What’s in each unit?

In each pack there are 6 lessons, designed to be taught over a term as well as supporting resources and assessment guidelines. You may find that the lessons take longer and if you cover all aspects of the lesson in detail you may wish to teach one unit over 2 terms.

Do you have to be a musician or have a musical background to use these resources in class?

Not at all, the lessons were designed for primary practitioners and can be delivered by any primary teacher with no need for specific musical training. If you do have musical training, you may still like to use them to create a progressive programme of skills and knowledge across a school as they are designed to build on skills from year to year.  Teachers may choose to take the learning objectives and add their own ideas and resources sometimes, to support and enrich other aspects of their school curriculum.

 

How long does each lesson last?

Lessons are designed to be 30 minutes for Reception and KS1 and 45 minutes for KS2.  As music is such a skills-based subject you may wish to revisit aspects of previous lessons to build on skills.  If you choose to do this the Unit may take longer.

Are there short and often activities I can use?

Absolutely, head towards the Musical Moment cards and all the accompanying resources for quick purposeful activities that are based on the Inter-related dimensions of music and can be repeated frequently to consolidate learning and practise skills.

How do I get in contact?

If you need to contact us about a resource or to give any feedback, please contact us via the online form here.

 

Are there any additional resource costs?

Although the curriculum is free to download, to be able to make the most of it, each school will be required to purchase:

  • - Access to the SingUp website with its wealth of singing resources and supporting ideas and notes

 

  • - The resource Singing Games and Rhymes for Middle Years by Lucinda Geoghegan on behalf of National Youth Choir for Scotland ISBN 978-0- 9538261-9- 3 nycos.co.uk

 

 

  • - A set of plastic cups (at least 30) (Year 3/4 plans)

 

  • - Optional: Lego bricks available from lego.com. We recommend you purchase at least 15 sets. For each set you need 8 yellow, 1×2, 4 blue 2×2, 2 red 4×2, 1 beige 8×2. (This currently costs £1.57 for each set)

 

  • - On request, each school will be given a free resource pack of the Bristol Folk Song Pack, with CD and teaching notes by Carolyn Robson published by Bristol Sings Music and the Full English (An English Folk Dance and Song Society project).

 

  • - The Book Creepy Crawly Calypso written by Tony Langham published by Barefoot Books ISBN 9781846868283

 

  • - Junior Songscape - Earth, Sea and Sky, published by Faber Music

 

Primary Curriculum Thanks

Bristol Plays Music would like to thank Kirsten Cunningham for leading on the creation of this curriculum and the many schools and teachers involved. Their inspiration, energy and ideas have proved invaluable.

Richard Croughan, Ashley Down Schools Federation

Anna-Louise Moorman, Christ Church CE Primary School
Christopher Morgan, Fair Furlong Primary School
Helen Rea, Wallscourt Farm Academy

Kathryn Sadler, Air Balloon Hill Primary School
Laurel Steel, Horfield CEVC Primary School
Ciara Whitehead, Bristol Grammar School
Jill White Elmlea Infants’ School

Composers who have kindly allowed us to use their work

David Ogden
David Poore
John Searle
Gillian Sheard
John Pitts
Three Cane Whale

 

 

Content

Ben England for recording and editing audio and video files.

Graham Fowlie for recording the songs
Meg Green Creative Design

A very special thank you is extended to the following people, without whom the task of creating the curriculum would have been significantly more difficult:

Jenny Taylor and Laurel Steel for respectively welcoming us to their school and leading such an inspirational lesson for the film.  Claire Alsop, arranger and accompanist, and the children from Horfield CEVC Primary school choir for recording the songs. Kirsten Cunningham (Horfield CEVC Primary School/Bristol Plays Music) and Gillian Sheard (Bristol Plays Music) for collating and editing the curriculum.