Music

Music is an integral part of the curriculum at Rush Common.  Weekly music lessons, delivered by a music specialist, allow the children to be creative, developing performance, listening, appraisal and composition skills and an appreciation of different types of music from different centuries. We have access to a wide range of musical instruments, including “bucket drums” and tuned percussion.  Year 3 children also learn the recorder within their class lessons.

As an important part of music is working and performing as a team, children are encouraged to contribute their own ideas but also to take account of the opinions and views of others.  This is in turn can help develop confidence and self-awareness, all skills which are transferrable to other areas of the curriculum.

We believe music plays an important part of children’s development and actively encourage participation in other musical events.  There are numerous opportunities for children to perform, from school productions to individual instrumental performances in assemblies.  Various year groups take part with other schools at musical events organized by the Oxfordshire County Music Service, including the Christmas Big Sing at Oxford Town Hall.  We have a choir, who perform in assemblies, the summer concert and at various events at Christmas time.

For those children who would like to take their learning further and learn an instrument, the school offers tuition from private music teachers.  Instrumental tuition offered at the moment includes drums, guitar, violin, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, flute and brass.  Some of the instrumental teachers run groups which also take part in school events.  Music is also used to develop links with the local community, including Abingdon Music Centre and Radley College.