At West Denton Primary School, we aim to inspire creativity, self-expression and a lifelong love of music. Our curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of musical experiences, including opportunities to perform, listen and respond to diverse musical styles. We are ambitious in our approach, ensuring all children develop the knowledge and skills needed to appreciate and engage with music. Pupils are encouraged to find their voice as singers, performers and composers, building confidence and becoming reflective, expressive musicians.

National Curriculum Aims

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres,
• styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. 

Pupils in Key Stage One will be taught to:

• use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
• play tuned and untuned instruments musically
• listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
• experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
• Children will learn about significant people from around the world that are linked to the musical genre/focus they are studying. 

Pupils in Key Stage Two will be taught to:

• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
•  improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music
•  listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
•  use and understand staff and other musical notations
•  appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
• develop an understanding of the history of music including significant individuals linked to the topic they are studying. Children will learn about the Supremes, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and their link to civil rights movements.
• Children will also learn about British Rock and its place in history focusing on bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Specials and Oasis.

Overview