Music

Intent

At St Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Primary School, we believe that music is an important part of every child’s education. Our intention is for every child to see themselves as musical and to develop a lifelong enjoyment and appreciation of music.

Through our use of Kapow Primary Music, we aim to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding children need to become confident performers, composers and listeners. Children experience music from different cultures, traditions and generations, helping them develop respect and appreciation for the rich diversity of music in the world around them.

Children develop their musical skills through singing, playing tuned and untuned instruments, improvising, composing, listening and responding to music. They also develop an understanding of the historical and cultural context of the music they encounter and learn how music can be represented through notation.

We want every child to experience the joy of making music and to have opportunities to participate, create, perform and celebrate their achievements. Music also provides valuable opportunities for children to develop confidence, creativity and collaboration.

Implementation

Music is taught progressively through the Kapow Primary Music scheme of work, ensuring children build their musical knowledge, understanding and skills over time.

The curriculum takes a holistic approach, with five key strands woven through children's musical learning:

Listening and evaluating
Creating sound
Notation
Improvising and composing
Performing

Through these strands, children are provided with opportunities to:

listen attentively and respond to a wide range of music;
sing fluently and expressively;
play tuned and untuned instruments with increasing accuracy and control;
explore and create different sounds;
improvise and compose their own music;
develop an understanding of musical notation;
perform individually and collaboratively;
explore music from different cultures, traditions and periods;
develop and apply appropriate musical vocabulary; and
reflect upon and evaluate music, including their own performances and compositions.

Kapow Primary Music enables children to develop their understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music, including pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics, and use these within their own musical work.

The scheme follows a spiral curriculum, allowing children to return to previous knowledge and skills and build upon them as they progress through school.

Children have opportunities to participate actively in music through singing, playing instruments, composing and performing. Through collaborative music-making, they also develop skills such as teamwork, creative thinking, problem-solving and performance confidence, which Kapow Primary Music identifies as transferable skills extending beyond the music curriculum.

Impact

By the time children leave St Cuthbert Mayne, we want them to see themselves as confident and enthusiastic musicians who have developed the knowledge and skills needed to enjoy and participate in music.

Children will increasingly be able to:

sing with confidence, expression and increasing control;
play tuned and untuned instruments with increasing accuracy;
listen carefully and respond thoughtfully to music;
recognise and discuss key musical features using appropriate vocabulary;
understand and use aspects of musical notation;
improvise and compose their own musical ideas;
use musical elements such as pitch, tempo, timbre, texture and dynamics purposefully;
perform individually and as part of a group;
listen to and appreciate music from a range of cultures, traditions and generations;
reflect upon and evaluate their own musical work and the music of others; and
approach musical experiences with confidence, creativity and enjoyment.

Ultimately, we want children to leave St Cuthbert Mayne with a genuine love and appreciation of music. They should recognise that music can bring people together, communicate ideas and provide opportunities for creativity and expression.

Our aspiration is that children leave primary school believing:

“I am musical. I can listen, create, perform and enjoy music.”

This reflects Kapow Primary Music's central intention of helping children to feel that they are musical and to develop a lifelong love of music.

Our Music learning journey in a nutshell

Listen → Explore → Sing & Play → Improvise → Compose → Perform → Evaluate

Underpinning this journey are the five Kapow Primary Music strands:

Listening and evaluating | Creating sound | Notation | Improvising and composing | Performing

Music beyond the classroom