Music

Music Curriculum

Our music curriculum follows the Kapow Music Scheme, providing pupils with a broad, engaging and progressive musical education. In line with the national curriculum, our music curriculum aims to ensure all pupils have opportunities to perform, listen to and evaluate a diverse range of music; use voices, instruments and musical technology to compose music; understand how sound is created and communicated and develop an understand of the inter-related dimensions of music.

Strands

The curriculum is structured around five key strands, which are developed throughout every music unit:

• Listening and evaluating – expressing musical preferences; exploring the impact of musical ideas; understanding how effects are created by combining musical elements.
• Creating sound – exploring the children’s vocal skills; developing skills to manipulate sounds on a range of instruments.
• Notation – recognising the basics of musical notation; reading simple rhythmic patterns; developing the foundational knowledge of how staff and graphic notations can communicate music.
• Improvising and composing – creating and refining the children’s own music through improvisation and notation; experimenting with styles and features; employing musical concepts to add interest.
• Performing – using voices expressively; developing instrumental control and expression; performing as part of a group.

Each of these strands is revisited and developed throughout the curriculum. Learning is carefully sequenced so that pupils can build on their previous knowledge and skills, with musical experiences increasing in complexity as they progress through the school.

Inter-related dimensions of music

Alongside the five strands, pupils develop their understanding of the inter-related dimensions of music. These include pitch, texture, tempo, structure, timbre, dynamics and duration. These elements are explored practically through listening, singing, playing instruments, composing, improvising and performing. As pupils progress, they become increasingly confident in recognising, describing and applying these elements within their own music and when responding to the music of others.

Our music curriculum therefore ensures that pupils have regular opportunities to listen, explore, create, compose, improvise and perform, while developing a secure and progressive understanding of musical knowledge and vocabulary. Through revisiting key concepts and skills across different units, pupils develop increasing confidence, creativity and independence as young musicians.