Music

Intent

The intention of the music scheme at BHCPS is first and foremost to help children feel that they are musical, and to develop a life-long love of music. We focus on developing the skills, knowledge and understanding that children need to become confident performers, composers, and listeners. Our curriculum introduces children to music from all around the world and across generations, teaching children 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.

Implementation

The music scheme at BHCPS takes a holistic approach to music, in which the individual strands below are woven together to create engaging and enriching learning experiences:

  • Performing
  • Listening
  • Composing
  • The history of music
  • The inter-related dimensions of music

Each five-lesson unit combines these strands within a cross-curricular topic designed to capture pupils’ imagination and encourage them to explore music enthusiastically. Over the course of the scheme, children will be taught how to sing fluently and expressively and play tuned and untuned instruments accurately and with control. They will learn to recognise and name the interrelated dimensions of music - pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics - and use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions.

We have fortnightly singing assemblies for the two key stages and offer one to one private lessons from Year 1 onwards in drums, guitar and piano. We also have a small choir that performs at concerts, carolling and some visits within the local community.

Impact

Pupils should leave BHCPS equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and to be able to enjoy and appreciate music throughout their lives. The expected impact of following our scheme of work is that children will:

Be confident performers, composers and listeners and will be able to express themselves musically at and beyond school.

Show an appreciation and respect for a wide range of musical styles from around the world and will understand how music is influenced by the wider cultural, social, and historical contexts in which it is developed.

Understand the ways in which music can be written down to support performing and composing activities.

Demonstrate and articulate an enthusiasm for music and be able to identify their own personal musical preferences.

Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for Music.

Curriculum Overview

Skills Progression

Gallery