We expect every child to feel that they are musical and to develop a life-long love for music. They will experience music from around the world and across generations, teaching them to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities.

Children will develop the musical skills of singing, playing tuned and untuned instruments, improvising and composing music, and listening and responding to music. They will develop an understanding of the history and cultural context of the music that they listen to and learn how music can be written down. Through music, our curriculum helps children develop transferable skills such as team-working, leadership, creative thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and presentation and performance skills. These skills are vital to children’s development as learners.

In each lesson, pupils will actively participate in musical activities drawn from a range of styles and traditions, developing their musical skills and their understanding of how music works. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work as well as improvisation and teacher-led performances. Lessons are ‘hands-on’ and incorporate movement and dance elements, as well as making cross-curricular links with other areas of learning.

Lessons in music take the children around the world and across history. The music of Japan, China, South and West Africa and South American are all experienced as well as going back in time to understand the music of Ancient Egypt, Rome and, from more modern History, WW2. Doing this builds on the work completed in other subjects and helps our children reflect back on their learning.

Our children will leave for secondary school as confident performers, composers and listeners and be able to express themselves musically at and beyond school; they will show an appreciation for a wide range of musical styles and the cultures they have come from and be enthusiastic for music and confident in their own preferences.