Music

We deliver the National Curriculum for music using the scheme Charanga as a basis for teaching and learning. The units from Charanga are adapted to meet the needs of the curriculum.  Teachers encourage a love of music, as well as opportunities for musical creativity and developing a sense of achievement. 

Music is taught to the whole class as a part of the ongoing, weekly timetable and is accessible by all.  Lessons follow a predictable format with opportunities for children to listen to and appraise different pieces and styles of music. Children are given opportunities to give their opinion on pieces of music, as well as discussing what they can hear, how the song is constructed, if the song tells a story, the genre/style, and how it makes them feel etc. All children complete all of the activities and have the chance to work alone, in pairs, small groups and as a class. In each lesson children use a range of untuned percussion instruments and progress to playing tuned percussion, such as glockenspiels and the ukulele. Children have opportunities to perform and compose their own pieces using simple notation. 

To support the children’s long term learning, ‘mini’ music lessons are taught (provided through the Charanga scheme) with a tight focus on the understanding and the retrieval of the interrelated dimensions of music.

PTA funding enables specialist weekly music lessons for all Reception classes. This early introduction focuses on instrumental exploration and collaborative performance, building foundational musical skills from the start. In KS1, the teaching of the glockenspiel and ukulele is delivered internally by class teachers to ensure deep integration with the wider curriculum and immediate response to pupil needs.

Singing is celebrated through singing assemblies and by singing entering and leaving the hall for assemblies. Children sing and perform in school productions and assemblies and an orchestra accompanies these performances. We have a school choir who practise weekly and who perform at a variety of events through the year, e.g. the SEESMA Infant Music Festival and singing at the local residential home. 

Performance is a core, embedded component of our music provision, ensuring all pupils develop confidence and collaborative skills. Opportunities are carefully sequenced throughout the year, ranging from informal in-class performances for staff and the Headteacher to major public events. These include singing at the Harvest Festival and Christmas Performance at St. Michael's and All Angels Church, dedicated class assemblies, and the celebratory Year 2 'End of the Show Show' musical. All major school performances are uniquely supported by an accompanying orchestra.

Music is played to children at opportune moments throughout the day as part of their ongoing learning e.g. during soft starts, as they come in from break/lunch, changing for P.E during activity time etc.