Music
Music is a vital and popular part of school life.
We have a strong music department at Rathfern with a host of activities for everyone and progression routes for those children who wish to pursue music further. All children from Early Years to Year 6 have a weekly music lesson with a specialist music teacher, developing key musicianship skills and creativity. Children are introduced to notation gradually through activities inspired by Dalcroze and Kodaly. From Yr 2 upwards classes also engage in whole class wider opportunities programmes for ukulele and djembe.
Class teachers sing and make music with their classes to support their curriculum learning and to prepare for assemblies and performances.
All children are involved in weekly singing assemblies with a specialist teacher, and prepare songs for performances such as class assemblies, Ks1 and Early years productions and the annual KS2 Christmas concert at St Dunstan's.
Songwriting
Rathfern has a long tradition of Year 6 winter songwriting competition. All Yr6 children take part in songwriting lessons where they are guided to create original songs as soloists, pairs or groups. The winning songwriters get the chance to work with professional musicians to add chords to their songs and create their final arrangements. Finished songs are then taught to the children of Rathfern and have been performed at Rathfern KS2 Winter concert at St Dunstan's, the Turning of the Year Concert at Blackheath Halls, the Clore Ballroom and have been made into a Christmas CD.
Extra Curricular Music
For those children who wish to pursue instrumental learning or singing further, or simply have fun with friends through music, there are a wide range of extra-curricula music making opportunities.
We currently offer tuition in, Violin, Piano, Guitar, Flute, Clarinet ,Trumpet, Trombone, Drum kit, Cello, Djembe, Samba Reggae and singing (Choir). These lessons are funded by parents, with subsidies for children eligible for pupil premium. Many of these lessons are provided by Lewisham Music. https://www.lewishammusic.org/
Ensembles
Children are invited to join an ensemble in order to support their instrumental studies. There are no charges for these groups. We currently have a String ensemble and Brass ensemble. Our guitar ensemble rehearses for concerts and events.
Our Djembe drumming group, Brazilian (Samba Reggae) drumming group and our choir perform regularly within the community at local venues such as Blackheath Halls, Broadway Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, Clore Ballroom, Blythe Hill Festival, Brockley Max Festival and recently on BBC Radio 1 live lounge. 
Our Aims
Our aims in music are to:
- Nurture Rathfern children’s evident love of music, movement and singing.
- Provide a rich variety of musical experiences and key memorable musical events during children’s time at school.
- Provide a solid grounding in musicianship skills through a well structured and progressive skills based music curriculum.
- Develop self expression and a love of creativity through composition and song writing.
- Provide the opportunity for all children to learn an instrument in a whole class setting.
- Provide progression routes for those children who wish to continue with instrumental learning.
- Work towards eliminating barriers to children’s musical progression.
- For singing to be central to the life of the school – in classwork, singing assemblies, class assemblies, and whole school and community events.
- For all children to enjoy quality music lessons which have musical sound as the dominant language.
- Children to have performance opportunities throughout the year in assemblies, performances and concerts.
