Music

The study of music relates to artistic expression and communication using the body, voice, formal and improvised instruments in creative ways. Our music curriculum also aims to develop international learning through music. We draw on a broad range of music, stimuli and resources to promote engagement with home and host countries’ traditions and cultures. The teaching of music is enriched by developing pupils’ shared knowledge and understanding of the stories, origins, traditions, history and social context of the music they are listening to, singing and playing. 

As a result of our music curriculum, learners develop their knowledge of a variety of musical styles, musicians and their areas of expertise (composing or performing), both first-hand and from secondary sources. Learners will practise and prepare for performances by composing, singing and/or playing instruments. They will be able to listen carefully and/or critically to peers and published music, identifying elements and recognising emotional responses.

Learners will develop an understanding of how music means different things to individuals, as well as how it plays an important role in culture, religion and entertainment. They will also gain an understanding of sources of inspiration and the manipulation of musical elements for the creation of music. Listening to recorded performances will be complemented by opportunities to experience live music making in and out of school.

Our aspiration is that children are inspired to listen to, appreciate and make music both in and out of school.

To be successful, learners must:

• Compose music and perform by singing and playing instruments

• Express emotions and experiences through music, developing their creativity and imagination

• Communicate their understanding of and response to music using appropriate vocabulary and subject-specific terminology

• Appreciate, respect and enjoy musical compositions and performances and the work of musicians from different countries and cultures

• Connect learning within and between subjects, identifying the function of music in people’s lives now and, in the past,

Implementation

EYFS Expressive Arts and Design

The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

Toddlers and young children will be learning to:

• Show attention to sounds and music.
• Respond emotionally and physically to music when it changes.
• Move and dance to music.
• Anticipate phrases and actions in rhymes and songs, like ‘Peepo’.
• Explore their voices and enjoy making sounds
• Join in with songs and rhymes, making some sounds.
• Make rhythmical and repetitive sounds.
• Explore a range of soundmakers and instruments and play them in different ways.
• Enjoy and take part in action songs, such as ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’

3 and 4-year-olds will be learning to:

• Listen with increased attention to sounds.
• Respond to what they have heard, expressing their thoughts and feelings.
• Remember and sing entire songs.
• Sing the pitch of a tone sung by another person (‘pitch match’).
• Sing the melodic shape (moving melody, such as up and down, down and up) of familiar songs.
• Create their own songs or improvise a song around one they know
• Play instruments with increasing control to express their feelings and ideas

Children in reception will be learning to:

• Listen attentively, move to and talk about music, expressing their feelings and responses
• Watch and talk about dance and performance art, expressing their feelings and responses.
• Sing in a group or on their own, increasingly matching the pitch and following the melody.
• Explore and engage in music making and dance, performing solo or in groups.

Music Curriculum
Music Policy