Music
Purpose of Study
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.
KS1: pupils should use their voices expressively and creatively, play tuned and untuned instruments, listen with concentration and understanding, and experiment with/create/select/combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music.
KS2: pupils move towards greater confidence and control in singing and playing, composition and aural memory. They should perform solo and in ensembles, improvise and compose, listen with increasing attention to detail, use musical notation, appreciate music from different traditions and composers, and develop an understanding of music history.
Aims
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perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of great composers and musicians;
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learn to sing and use their voices, create and compose music individually and with others, have opportunities to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately, and progress to higher levels of musical excellence;
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understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notation.
Our Approach
At Foundry Lane, we use the Charanga Musical School Scheme to provide a progressive and engaging music curriculum from Reception to Year 6. Charanga uses an integrated, practical and exploratory approach to musical learning, with children developing their knowledge and skills through listening and appraising, singing, playing instruments, improving, composing and performing.
Our curriculum follows a spiral approach, allowing children to revisit important musical concepts regularly while developing increasing depth, confidence and mastery. Learning is built around the interrelated dimensions of music — pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure and notation — which are woven throughout each unit.
Singing is at the heart of our musical learning, alongside opportunities to play tuned and untuned instruments. Children develop their instrumental skills through a sound-before-symbol approach, gradually building their understanding of musical notation. They are also given regular opportunities to improvise, compose and share their learning through performance.
Across the school, children experience a broad range of musical styles, traditions and historical contexts. Each year consists of six half-termly units, with the final Reflect, Rewind and Replay unit providing opportunities to revisit, consolidate and extend previous learning.
This ensures that pupils do not simply complete isolated musical activities, but steadily build the knowledge, vocabulary, practical skills and confidence needed to think, talk and act as musicians.
At our school, we believe in using the power of inspiration to help shape the thinking and curriculum design of our students. That's why we have taken inspiration from successful and influential people who have made a significant impact in their respective fields. By studying their stories, and listening to their music, we aim to inspire our pupils to aim high and achieve their own goals.
Intent
At Foundry Lane, our intention is for every child to develop a love of music alongside the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate as a musician. We want pupils to experience music practically through listening, singing, playing, improvising, composing and performing, while developing an increasingly secure understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music.
Our curriculum is designed so that pupils encounter a broad range of musical styles, traditions and historical contexts, developing their ability to listen closely, talk about music using appropiate vocabulary and form their own informed opinions. Charanga places importance on exposing children to music from a wide range of styles rather than viewing musical genres in isolation.
Implementation
Our music curriculum is structured around three strands: Listening and Appraising, Musical Activities, and Performing and Sharing. Musical activities include games, singing, playing instruments, improvisation and composition.
Learning is deliberately cumulative: pupils repeatedly apply the interrelated dimensions of music through different musical activities, so that knowledge and skills become increasingly secure.
Charanga enables music to be taught confidently by both specialist and non-specialist teachers. Staff are supported by week-by-week lesson guidance, lesson plans, assessment materials and interactive whiteboard resources.
Alongside curriculum music lessons, all pupils take part in a weekly singing assembly, providing a regular opportunity to sing collectively, develop confidence and experience music as part of the wider life of the school.
As part of our commitment to enrichment and cultural capital, pupils in Year 4 are given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. This gives children the experience of developing instrumental technique over time and ensures that all pupils have access to an experience they may not otherwise encounter.
Impact
The impact of our music curriculum is that pupils develop as confident, creative and increasingly independent musicians. As they move through the school, they build a secure and increasingly sophisticated understanding of musical concepts while developing their skills in listening, singing, playing, improvising, composing and performing.
Because key knowledge and skills are deliberately revisited through Charanga's spiral model, pupils are able to retain previous learning, make connections and apply familiar musical concepts in increasingly challenging contexts. The scheme describes mastery as both developing deeper understanding of existing musical skills and learning something new.
The wider music offer strengthens this further. Weekly singing assemblies build a shared culture of singing across the school, while the Year 4 instrumental opportunity broadens pupils' musical experiences and contributes to their cultural capital.
By the end of Key Stage 2, we want pupils to be able to talk confidently about music using appropriate vocabulary, recognise and discuss a range of musical styles, perform with increasing accuracy and expression, and use their musical knowledge creatively when improvising and composing. Most importantly, we want children to leave Foundry Lane seeing music as something they can participate in, enjoy and continue beyond primary school.
Threshold Concepts
At Foundry Lane, we have identified the following threshold concepts in music. These are the key ideas that pupils revisit throughout their musical learning, developing greater depth and sophistication over time:
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Music is organised sound – pupils understand how pulse, rhythm and pitch provide the foundations of music and how tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture and structure shape what we hear. Charanga identifies pulse as the foundation, with rhythm and pitch building upon it.
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Music can be heard, understood and discussed – pupils learn to listen closely, recognise musical features and styles, make comparisons and express informed opinions using increasingly precise musical vocabulary.
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Music can be performed and communicated – pupils develop their voices and instrumental skills, learning to perform individually and as part of an ensemble with increasing confidence, control and expression.
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Music can be created – pupils understand that music can be improvised and composed, applying their knowledge of rhythm, pitch and the other musical dimensions to create and refine their own musical ideas.
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Sound can be represented through notation – pupils gradually understand the relationship between sound and symbol, progressing from learning by ear towards using and understanding musical notation. Charanga defines notation specifically as the link between sound and symbol.
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Music has a cultural and historical context – pupils encounter music from different styles, traditions, cultures and periods and understand that music reflects people, places and times. By Year 6, Charanga expects pupils to discuss style, instrumentation, musical dimensions and the historical context of songs.
Progression on a Page ...
Year R
Listening & Appraising - Respond to a range of music through movement; begin to find the pulse and recognise high and low sounds.
Singing & Playing - Sing/rap nursery rhymes and simple songs from memory. Explore voices and classroom instruments and begin creating simple one- and two-note patterns.
Improvising & Composing - Copy rhythms and invent simple sounds and musical patterns.
Performing & Communicating - Share songs through singing, actions and dance; add a simple instrumental part and talk about performances.
Year 1
Listening & Appraising - Know familiar songs, what they are about and recognise some instruments. Find a steady pulse and begin to distinguish pulse, rhythm and pitch.
Singing & Playing - Sing and rap from memory in unison; follow a leader. Play differentiated tuned instrumental parts and begin recognising note names.
Improvising & Composing - Improvise with one or two notes. Compose simple melodies using a small number of notes and begin to record musical ideas.
Performing & Communicating - Perform a learnt song, contribute ideas and reflect on how the performance felt.
Year 2
Listening & Appraising - Recognise that songs have different styles and structures, including chorus and question/answer. Understand the difference between pulse and rhythm.
Singing & Playing - Sing confidently from memory and understand unison. Play tuned parts accurately in time with a steady pulse.
Improvising & Composing - Improvise using one or two notes. Compose melodies using increasing numbers of notes and begin to adapt recorded ideas.
Performing & Communicating - Perform to an audience, contribute ideas and evaluate the experience.
Year 3
Listening & Appraising - Identify musical style, structure, instruments and dimensions and know who performed or composed studied songs. Begin discussing music and expressing opinions.
Singing & Playing - Sing in unison and simple two parts, explore solo singing and develop awareness of tuning and internal pulse. Play differentiated instrumental parts from memory or notation.
Improvising & Composing - Develop question-and-answer improvisation and create melodies using increasingly varied notes. Make decisions about pulse, rhythm, pitch, dynamics and tempo and record compositions using symbols/graphic notation.
Performing & Communicating - Plan performances, communicate meaning and begin evaluating what was successful and what could improve.
Year 4
Listening & Appraising - Identify style indicators, song structure and musical dimensions and explain how these work together. Use increasing musical vocabulary when discussing music.
Singing & Playing - Sing confidently in unison and simple two parts. Develop solo singing, tuning and ensemble awareness. Play differentiated tuned parts from memory or notation and begin to lead others.
Improvising & Composing - Create and refine simple melodies; make deliberate decisions about musical dimensions and record compositions through letter names, symbols, audio or graphic notation.
Performing & Communicating - Plan and present performances designed to engage an audience and evaluate the outcome.
Year 5
Listening & Appraising - Compare songs and styles, identify style indicators, structure, instrumentation and historical context and discuss how musical dimensions work together.
Singing & Playing - Sing with a strong internal pulse, including unison, backing vocals and solo opportunities. Play with correct technique and use staff notation, including notes on the treble stave.
Improvising & Composing - Improvise increasingly complex rhythmic and melodic responses. Compose melodies of up to five notes, considering pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, texture and structure.
Performing & Communicating - Lead aspects of rehearsal, perform confidently and compare performances to identify improvements.
Year 6
Listening & Appraising - Discuss music using increasingly precise vocabulary; compare pieces and explain style, structure, musical dimensions and historical context, including the idea of musical identity.
Singing & Playing - Sing confidently with awareness of style, tuning and ensemble. Perform instrumental parts with appropriate technique from memory and notation and take increasing responsibility for rehearsal.
Improvising & Composing - Compose melodies using up to five notes and explain how musical dimensions shape the composition. Understand the relationship between sound and symbol and make informed musical choices.
Performing & Communicating - Plan, lead and perform with confidence, communicate musical meaning and evaluate performances using musical language.
