Itchen Abbas is a rural village in the valley of the River Itchen about 4 miles north of Winchester.  Being a cathedral city, Winchester has a strong choral tradition. Both Winchester and Southampton Universities have strong music departments and the area has a wealth of professional, semi-professional and amateur music ensembles and orchestras.

Many parents of children attending Itchen Abbas value instrumental learning and have either played musical instruments in the past or still do. They encourage their children to learn instruments and a good percentage of our children learn music instruments either within school (through Hampshire Music Service peripatetic teachers) or privately outside of school. Instruments learnt are mostly orchestral instruments (such as strings and woodwind) and piano, or western band instruments such as guitar and keyboard.

Most people who live in the community were born in the UK and migration and immigration into the area are low.  Therefore, the community does not have a high level of diversity and children are not typically exposed to diversity within their daily lives. In recent years, since Covid, the school has seen more children join the school from abroad.  However, most are white middle class with parents who were working abroad and children attending British Schools.  A small number of families new to the school are from Ukraine and are refugees.

Music is something we embody – we experience music by doing – therefore, we intend that our music curriculum will be ‘hands-on’ so that children experience the joy and creativity of this performing art.

Therefore, through our music curriculum, we will give our children:

1. The experiences they need to feel that they are musical and to develop a life-long love of music,
2. An ambitious curriculum which all children can access and enjoy but will provide stretch and challenge for children who are learning music in addition to curriculum lessons, supporting all children to become confident performers, composers and listeners
3. Opportunities to listen to and experience a wide variety of music so that children can decide for themselves what they like
4. As there has been little migration into the area, it is also important that children have their awareness and acceptance of diversity and different cultures heightened with an understanding and experience of music across times, cultures and genres. Therefore, we will introduce children to music from all around the world and across generations, teaching children to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities
5. The development of transferable skills such as team-working, leadership, creative thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, presentation and performance skills.

Children have the opportunity to learn to play a variety of musical instruments including flute, clarinet, guitar and violin.

Music, Intent, Implementation and Impact