Music

At Northern Education Trust, we have created an ambitious and engaging curriculum which allows all children to become passionate and confident musicians. Leaders have planned a curriculum sequenced from the beginning of early years through to clearly defined endpoints at the end of Key Stage 2. During the design phase, leaders consulted widely with Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 colleagues to ensure that the curriculum prepared students well for Year 7 and beyond.

Students will learn how to become effective musicians.

Careful consideration given to building knowledge (schema theory) and sequencing (making links over time and between themes) guarantees that children have the opportunity to build rich and detailed knowledge.

To help students and teachers with this, we use our ‘Big Ideas’ as ‘golden threads’.

The ‘Big Ideas’ for Music are:

• Listen
• Play a musical instrument;
• Explore, compose and improvise;
• Perform
• Use voices

The music curriculum has carefully sequenced objectives to ensure that students’ learning is incremental – we think of this like the individual building blocks of a wall. This makes up the ‘entitlement’ part of the curriculum. We also offer many other musical activities and events which help create ‘enrichment’ and ‘element’.

Enrichment

As part of our ‘Enrichment’ offer in the Music curriculum, children are given the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument in UKS2. Visitors lead assemblies and workshops across all year groups and teach the children a wide range of musical skills broadening their cultural capital and life experiences.

Element

All pupils, from Reception class to Year 6, are encouraged to find their ‘element’: something that they are passionate about. Some children find their ‘Element’ through learning to play a musical instrument, through the choir or as part of the samba band. These experiences help build confidence performance skills so students leave primary ready for the next phase of education.

Our curriculum for music can be found below. Please contact the academy to speak to our Vice Principal or your child’s teacher if you would like to know more.

Music Development Plan