Infant and Junior School Music Provision
Nottingham High School
This outline of music provision within the Infant and Junior School sets out to support and enrich the aims of music at IJS which are to provide an inclusive, challenging and enriching music programme in line with the whole school notion of making a difference to each child.
Instrumental and vocal provision are vital added additional opportunities, which extend and enhance the extensive academic music curriculum at IJS. The music department is more than happy to answer enquiries regarding musical opportunities for Infant School children at any stage in their journey through the school. Please contact either of these email addresses should you need any advice at any point:
Mr Corin - Head of IJS Music: corin.tj@nottinghamhigh.co.uk
Mrs King - Music Administrator: musicadministrator@nottinghamhigh.co.uk
Curriculum Music Provision
Every Year Group from Nursery Upwards:
Curriculum Lesson with Head of Music
Every year group from Nursery to Year 6 at the end of the Junior School benefits from class music curriculum lessons taught by the Head of Infant and Junior School Music. The benefits of receiving music curriculum lessons taught by a subject specialist are countless and a uniquely specific opportunity to our school.
Co-Curricular Opportunities:
As a whole school we want to ensure that we make the best difference to a child’s musical development. We want to nurture and encourage all of our Infant School children to develop both their musical skills and secure their love of music, before committing to individual instrumental music lessons. There is a natural temptation to commence individual one-to-one instrumental lessons too soon in a child’s development of their core physical and verbal skills, and the framework of instrumental learning at our school seeks to guide children to making the most informed choice about which is the best instrument to commence studying on an individual basis, once they graduate to the Junior School.
In pursuit of making the best difference for all sons and daughters, exciting instrumental programmes are delivered across the Infant School. Every child is different and we seek to ensure that each child commences individual lessons at the right stage in their school journey.
Reception Little Hands Programme
In addition to curriculum lessons, the ‘Little Hands’ Programme is offered. This is a three-tier course studied through the majority of the Reception year, with each tier lasting for one term. The programme is delivered by Infant specialist music teachers, providing weekly 30minute sessions.
The sessions include note learning, playing instruments and music games through a Kodaly and Dalcroze based approach - which are highly researched and tested methods of musical delivery, proven to give learners the best start in the foundations of music education.
Teaching is delivered in small groups of up to 3 children. Specific time slots for these lessons are constructed around the Reception class timetable, to best complement the learning needs of all of the children and ensure that children are in class time with their class at all necessary times.
This course is unique to Nottingham High School, the school is blazing a trail in providing opportunities for the youngest learners to access highquality musical education as soon as formal education commences, in pursuit of making a difference from the outset of a child’s arrival to our school.
Year 1 Recorder Project
Noextratuitioncostforthisproject,however,a£15refundable depositispayableifusingaschoolinstrument.
All students in Year 1 have the opportunity to learn the recorder. Pupils will follow the Recorder Karate course, which lays the foundations for instrumental learning. The course is inclusive as well as motivating, focussing on positive rewards and reinforcement to secure the facility in playing a woodwind instrument as well as musical literacy (following on from the Little Hands Scheme in Reception).
Once pupils reach a certain level in Recorder Karate, they are awarded a small karate belt to attach to their recorder, the belts are different colours. Pupils are able to play pieces on their recorders to the class individually, in small groups as well as a whole class. The music department will provide every child in Year 1 with a recorder and book. If your child happens to already have a recorder at home, your son or daughter is of course more than welcome to use their own. Please make sure that both the recorder and the case for the recorder is name-labelled.
Year2StringsProject(violinand cello)
Year4WoodwindandBrass Project(flute,clarinet,trumpet andtrombone)
Noextratuitioncostforthisproject,however,a£50refundable depositispayableforusingaschoolinstrument.
The Year 2 Strings Scheme and the Year 4 Woodwind and Brass Schemes are outstanding programmes that are unique to Nottingham High School. The offer of this style of provision is rare in both the Independent and State education sectors.
All children in Year 2 learn both the violin and the cello in this programme, and all children in Year 4 learn both the flute, clarinet, trumpet and trombone in these programmes delivered by specialist string, woodwind and brass teachers.
The schemes culminate in celebratory workshop performances to showcase the wonderful efforts that the children have made. The quality of learning experienced by all children through this course is truly exceptional. The progress observed across the groups really highlights the enjoyment that children at IJS demonstrate towards music.
At the end of each scheme, a recommendation is given as to which instrument a child should gravitate towards studying on a one-to-one basis during a child’s time at the Junior School.
Opportunity
String instrument one-to-one lessons
Available for which instruments
Violin Viola Cello Double Bass Harp
Woodwind instrument one-toone lessons
Brass instrument one-to-one lessons
Flute Oboe Clarinet Saxophone Bassoon
Trumpet Trombone Euphonium
French Horn Tuba
Percussion instrument one-toone lessons
Orchestral Percussion Drum Kit
Co-Curricular LongTerm Extension Pathways
Where can one-toone lessons lead to?
First Start Ensemble
Junior String Ensemble
Junior Harp
Ensemble
Junior Swing Band
Junior Orchestra
Chamber music
Assembly performances
First Start Ensemble
Junior Woodwind
Ensemble
Junior Concert Band
Junior Swing Band
Junior Orchestra
First Start Ensemble
Junior Brass Ensemble
Junior Concert Band
Junior Swing Band
Junior Orchestra
Junior Percussion Ensemble Assembly Performances
Academic Long-Term Extension Pathways
Where can one-to-one lessons lead to?
Optional Grade Exams which accrue UCAS points towards university applications from Grade 6 onwards
House Music Competition
Optional Grade Exams which accrue UCAS points towards university applications from Grade 6 onwards.
House Music Competition
Optional Grade Exams which accrue UCAS points towards university applications from Grade 6 onwards
House Music Competition
Optional Grade Exams which accrue UCAS points towards university applications from Grade 6 onwards
House Music Competition
Guitar one-to-one lessons
Acoustic Guitar Electric Guitar
Piano One-to-one lessons Piano
Small band opportunities
Assembly performances
Optional Grade Exams which accrue UCAS points towards university applications from Grade 6 onwards.
House Music Competition
Assembly performances
Optional Grade Exams which accrue UCAS points towards university applications from Grade 6 onwards
House Music Competition 07
Ensemble and Choir Opportunities
Noextratuitioncostforanyco-curricularmusicactivityintheInfant orJuniorSchool.
Weofferadiverseandvariedco-curricularprogrammeacrossthewholeof theInfantandJuniorSchool.Theprovisionisconstantlyreviewedand adaptedbasedontheemergingneedsofthechildren.Everychildis differentandweseektoensurethateachchildcommencesopportunities thatareenjoyable,challengingandrelevanttotheirmusicalinterests
Howtosignup:Followthesign-upinformationcommunicatedtoall parentstermly.
Allensemblesandchoirsperformatregulareventsthroughouttheschool year
Ensemble
Year 1 and 2 Choir
Year 3 and 4 Choir
Y 5 d 6 Ch i
Practical Sign Up Information
Open to all
Junior Chamber Choir Auditions held periodically
First Start Ensemble
Junior String Ensemble
Junior Woodwind Ensemble J i B E bl
Junior School Children invited once ready to join, typically after a term of individual one-to-one instrumental lessons
Junior School Children invited once ready to move up from First Start Ensemble
Junior Harp Ensemble Invitation only
