Intent

At St. John’s C of E Primary School, we give every child the opportunity to explore their musical creative ability and appreciate the creations of others.  We use inspirational music ranging from contemporary artists to classical composers and local musicians to create a rich and diverse Music curriculum.

Music is undoubtedly one of the most imaginative and creative subjects in the whole National Curriculum, playing an integral part of our school.

Implementation

Our Music curriculum is taught across school (including Nursery) in discrete weekly lessons and carefully follows the Charanga Online Music Scheme linked to the Durham Music Service progression plan (Year 1 to Year 6).  Our EYFS children follow a bespoke curriculum with particular emphasis on the area of Expressive Art and Design.  Our youngest children use a mixture of nursery rhymes, phonic songs and Charanga resources to begin developing their early music skills.

Through these lessons, children and staff can access the Charanga and Sing-Up music websites which support a wide range of teaching and learning from singing to instrumental tuition.  We help children develop their skills in the building blocks of pulse, rhythm and melody.  Across school children deepen their musical literacy through the four strands of learning: active listening, composing and improvising, performing and singing.

School staff teach Music in EYFS and Key Stage 1, supported by our Music specialist Deputy Headteacher, who also teaches Music in Years 3 and 4.  Upper Key Stage 2 lessons are taught by a peripatetic Music teacher from the Durham Music Service.  In Key Stage 2 from September 2021, children are taught to play the glockenspiel, including an understanding traditional music notation and technical terms, with an expectation that by the end of Year 6, children can confidently play and compose using eight notes on the glockenspiel.

Children with SEND are fully supported so that each child can access their curriculum entitlement in Music.

To further enhance pupils’ cultural capital, at various times throughout their school lives, children have the opportunity to visit local music venues such as The Sage in Gateshead as well as live music performances from professional musicians who visit school for performances.

All children participate in daily acts of Collective Worship as well as a whole school weekly praise and worship sessions.  This is led by our two accomplished deputy headteachers – one playing piano and one leading the singing.  All children participate enthusiastically in whole school singing sessions.  It is agreed by all staff and children in school, that these times of corporate music making are some of the most inspiring of the week!

Impact

The Covid pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the teaching and learning of Music in school, meaning our Music lessons were limited to rhythm and percussion work.  It has also impacted our pupils’ ability to retain information causing gaps in children’s knowledge and understanding of concepts in Music.  Therefore, some objectives from previous years are having to be repeated.

However, as quickly as was possible, we have returned to teaching our full Music curriculum, enabling all children to have access to a fully-rounded Music experience.

In short, Music at St. John’s can be summed up in these words of Hilary Clinton: ‘Music education can help spark a child’s imagination or ignite a lifetime of passion.  When you provide a child with new worlds to explore and challenges to tackle, the possibilities are endless.  Music education should not be a privilege for a lucky few, it should be a part of every child’s world of possibility.’

Curriculum

You can view or download the curriculum overview by clicking the link below.

Music Curriculum
Musical Progression KS1
Musical Progression KS2