At King William Street CE Primary School, we aim for music to be an enjoyable learning experience where our children participate in a variety of musical experiences to build confidence. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We teach them to listen and to appreciate different forms of music. Children develop descriptive language skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent different feelings, emotions and narratives. We also teach technical vocabulary such as volume, pitch, beat and rhythm and encourage children to discuss music using these terms.

Our music curriculum is carefully mapped out to ensure progression and consolidation using a small steps progression document. We use Chris Quigley threshold concepts to underpin learning and progression towards each milestone. This enables pupils to reinforce and build upon prior learning, make connections and develop subject specific language These concepts are:

Perform: this concept involves understanding that music is created to be performed.
Compose: this concept involves appreciating that music is created through a process which has a number of techniques.
Transcribe: this concept involves understanding that compositions need to be understood by
others and that there are techniques and a language for communicating them.
Describe: this concept involves appreciating the features and effectiveness of musical elements.

In addition, when the children are involved in a musical production, the focus will be on listen and appraise which explicitly teaches style, genre as well as opportunities for the children to reflect and evaluate a piece of music. 

We teach a song-based music curriculum provided by the Charanga scheme which means children have the opportunity to perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions. They learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others.

Music is taught on a two-year rolling programme which allows our children to consolidate key music knowledge and skills for each key phase, before moving onto the next. It also provides an opportunity to revisit and remember knowledge across our curriculum and study our chosen topics with a deeper level of understanding .

 Each lesson is identified with the subject heading of Music and an ‘I can’ statement sticker that is taken from each year groups small steps progression document. Each ‘I can’ statement is a small step towards the children achieving the milestone for that subject. These ‘I can’ statements are then highlighted in the children’s books and the attainment is then recorded on the Music part of Sonar.

In addition to regular music teaching, we also have regular music appreciation sessions to broaden and deepen our pupils understanding of music and musicians. This includes:

• peripatetic music lessons provided in guitar, piano and drums weekly in
• a weekly designated Collective Worship Singing Time where children have the opportunity to listen and appraise different genres of music as well as learn and enjoy songs which they may sing in church services and special assemblies such as the Harvest, Christmas and Easter service
• a school performance which includes a significant singing element
• opportunities to participate in music festivals at The Wyvern Theatre in association with Swindon Music Cooperative.

Our music curriculum is planned to support our children to develop a love and appreciation of music and are able to talk confidently about their learning in music using appropriate and technical vocabulary.  Children demonstrate improved confidence in performing in front of others.

Due to the practical nature of music, the monitoring of this subject takes various forms. A key component is pupil voice alongside their class music learning journey. School leaders use these to ensure children have the opportunity to develop their skills fully as well as determine  how the children ‘know more and remember more’.

Music Development Plan