Music

Welcome to

Intent of Music at Castleton

At Castleton we firmly believe that music has the potential to transform us. It is not simply about learning a body of knowledge but it is also a wonderful medium for facilitating communication between people of different cultures, ages and social backgrounds.

Music confirms our understanding that there is something beyond ourselves. It promotes high-level intellectual and physical attainment, and evokes deep emotional and creative response. Studying music provides a rich opportunity for acquiring and developing a wide range of skills; musical, personal and social which we need in our modern world.

Music plays a big part in our children's lives here at Castleton. From the moment a child starts nursery they will experience singing, movement and experimenting with sound in a creative way. As they progress through the school they will have music and singing lessons as part of their weekly curriculum as well as the chance to join extra- curricular lunchtime clubs such as choir, djembe and ukulele.

We have a peripatetic specialist teacher who comes in on a weekly basis to teach drums and guitar to children in Key Stage 2. Children are given regular opportunities to perform both in and outside of school, with school music assemblies held termly and trips to perform at Leeds Town Hall twice a year. Opera North and Leeds Lieder work in partnership with us, delivering workshops in school. We also go out into the community to perform at local care homes and GP surgeries. There is a Year 6 band who have performed at local music festivals and recorded CDs at the same recording studio as the Kaiser Chiefs.

If a child shows particular musicality they are encouraged to develop their potential by furthering their studies outside school. Castleton have had several children who have successfully auditioned for a place at Leeds College of Music Saturday Morning School (SMS) and who are currently studying there. One past pupil joined Opera North Youth Chorus, touring nationally and internationally with Opera North and now works in music production. Last year one of our Year 6 pupils successfully gained a full scholarship to attend the internationally acclaimed Cheetham's Music School in Manchester to study piano as a full time student.

We have also nurtured links between our music department and Leeds Beckett University. Last year a group of third year B Ed students came to work with children on a successful and highly enjoyable 6 week composition project , culminating in a concert for parents, teachers and children to see and hear the work the children and students had done.