Music
“Music brings us together, inspires our imagination and gives everyone a voice.”
As a Church of England primary school, our Christian values of Love & Kindness, Friendship, Respect, Justice, Freedom & Responsibility, and Equality underpin our approach to education.
Music provides opportunities for children to express themselves, experience joy, work collaboratively and appreciate the creativity and traditions of others.
Our LIVE vision is reflected in Music through:
-
L – Life-Long Learners: Developing musical knowledge, confidence and an enjoyment of music that can continue throughout life.
-
I – Immersive: Experiencing music through singing, listening, playing, composing and performing.
-
V – Valuing Diversity: Exploring music from different cultures, traditions and periods, appreciating its significance to people and communities.
-
E – Enquiring Minds: Investigating how music works, experimenting with sounds and making creative decisions.
Intent: What do we want our pupils to learn?
At Bickerton Holy Trinity, we believe that Music is an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum, enriching children's creativity, emotional development and cultural understanding.
Our ambition is for every child to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to become an enthusiastic, expressive and increasingly independent musician.
We aim to provide an inclusive music education in which all pupils can experience the enjoyment of making music, develop their musical understanding and discover their individual strengths.
Our curriculum develops five interconnected areas of musical learning:
-
Singing: Developing pitch, rhythm, melody, vocal control and confidence when singing individually and with others.
-
Listening: Responding thoughtfully to music, recognising musical features and developing an appreciation of different styles and traditions.
-
Composing: Exploring, improvising and organising sounds to create and communicate musical ideas.
-
Performing: Developing instrumental and vocal skills through practice, rehearsal and presentation.
-
Musicianship: Understanding and applying the musical elements, including pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture and structure.
We want children to recognise music as a powerful means of expression, communication and connection, while developing the confidence to participate in musical opportunities beyond the classroom.
Implementation: How do we teach Music?
At Bickerton Holy Trinity, we follow the Love Music Trust Music Curriculum, which provides a developmental approach to musical learning.
The curriculum is organised into six units of work for each class, with knowledge, skills and understanding carefully sequenced and revisited.
Our mixed-age planning ensures appropriate progression, coverage and challenge, building on pupils' prior musical experiences.
Teaching combines explicit instruction, modelling, guided practice and practical exploration, enabling children to develop both technical understanding and creative expression.
Developing musical knowledge and skills
Our curriculum develops musical understanding through interconnected experiences of singing, listening, composing, performing and musicianship.
Children learn to recognise and apply musical elements, including:
-
Pulse, beat and metre
-
Rhythm
-
Pitch and melody
-
Tempo
-
Dynamics
-
Timbre
-
Texture
-
Structure and form
These concepts are introduced progressively, allowing pupils to develop a shared musical vocabulary and apply their understanding in increasingly sophisticated ways.
Music in the Early Years
In Reception, children develop their musical awareness through singing, movement, rhymes, listening and playful exploration of sound.
Through Expressive Arts and Design, pupils experiment with instruments, recognise patterns, explore rhythm and begin to express ideas and feelings through music.
Children are encouraged to listen carefully, respond creatively and participate confidently in shared musical experiences.
These activities establish important foundations for musical understanding and enjoyment.
Music in Key Stage 1
In Years 1 and 2, children develop their ability to sing accurately, maintain a steady pulse and recognise simple rhythmic and melodic patterns.
They explore tuned and untuned instruments, experiment with creating sounds and begin to organise musical ideas.
Pupils listen to a range of music, describe what they hear and develop confidence in performing with others.
Music in Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2, pupils build on their existing knowledge to develop greater musical accuracy, fluency and independence.
They extend their vocal and instrumental skills, explore increasingly complex rhythmic and melodic patterns, and use musical notation to record and communicate ideas.
Children compose, improvise and perform with growing confidence, applying their understanding of musical elements to create different effects.
They also develop their ability to evaluate music, explain artistic choices and refine performances.
Listening and musical appreciation
Children encounter a broad range of music from different cultures, traditions, genres and historical periods.
Through focused listening and discussion, pupils learn to recognise musical features, express informed opinions and understand how music reflects different experiences and contexts.
Where meaningful, musical learning connects with wider curriculum topics, enriching children's cultural knowledge and understanding.
Musical experiences and performance
We recognise the importance of providing opportunities for children to experience music beyond individual lessons.
Singing, collective worship, school performances and musical celebrations contribute to our wider musical culture.
Children are encouraged to participate in individual and group performances, developing confidence, collaboration and an appreciation of the contribution of others.
These experiences help pupils understand the value of practice, preparation and shared achievement.
High-quality teaching and inclusion
Our Music curriculum is ambitious and accessible to all pupils.
In line with our Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision (OAIP) approach, teachers use modelling, repetition, visual and auditory prompts, practical demonstration and appropriate adaptations.
Children are supported to participate meaningfully, develop their musical abilities and experience success regardless of their starting points.
Impact: How do we know our Music curriculum is successful?
By the end of their time at Bickerton, we want pupils to:
-
Demonstrate musical knowledge: Recognise, understand and use key musical elements and vocabulary.
-
Sing and play with confidence: Apply developing vocal and instrumental techniques with increasing control and accuracy.
-
Compose creatively: Experiment with, organise and develop musical ideas using appropriate forms of notation.
-
Listen critically: Recognise musical features, discuss different styles and express informed responses.
-
Perform collaboratively: Rehearse, contribute to group performances and demonstrate an awareness of others.
-
Reflect and improve: Evaluate their own musical work and use feedback to refine their skills.
-
Appreciate musical diversity: Recognise the cultural significance of music and develop an interest in different musical traditions.
Teachers assess progress through observation, practical performance, pupil discussion and evaluation against curriculum expectations.
Our aim is for children to leave Bickerton with secure musical foundations, positive experiences and the confidence to continue exploring and enjoying music.
.png)