At Four Oaks Primary School every class receives a weekly music lesson. These lessons are mostly delivered by the school's Music Co-ordinator. Throughout the Foundation Stage music lessons focus on singing, using actions, using simple rhythms and movement.  

KS1 and KS2 classroom music is based on the Tobin Music System, which is a multi-sensory method of teaching the subject, devised by the late Candida Tobin. It is an extremely progressive and structured way of teaching music. It covers and substantially extends all of the music objectives in the National Curriculum.  Pupils taught through this system are able to read, write, compose and play music with total understanding and confidence.

By the end of KS2, pupils are able to recognise and conduct simple and compound time signatures, play melodies across the Great Stave using pitched percussion or recorders, find and use all major and minor chords, compose and harmonise melodies using major and minor chords, evaluate their own and other peoples’ music, improvise melodies based on a given chord sequence, understand how tones and semitones work, leading to confidence in performing.

These lessons overcome social exclusion through providing pathways for pupils to actively engage in meaningful music lessons at every level. All primary children can therefore become musically literate –without having to pay for private lessons!

Fine out more at www.tobinmusic.co.uk

The children have opportunities to learn an instrument via Birmingham Music Service, and are encouraged to join the School Band or String Group. There are also two choirs available for pupils: one for Years 2, 3 & 4, and the Four Oaks Cluster Choir for Years 5 and above - which includes pupils from around the area. More details can be found at the choir's own website:

http://fouroaksclusterchoir.weebly.com