Curriculum intent for Music
At Holy Cross, we aim to provide an engaging, high-quality music education that inspires children to develop their creativity, grow as confident musicians and foster a lifelong love of music. We seek to expose pupils to a wide range of instruments, musical vocabulary, historical periods and genres, enabling them to appreciate the richness and diversity of musical traditions.
In line with the National Curriculum, we ensure that all pupils:
– 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.
– Learn to sing and use their voices expressively, create and compose music independently and collaboratively, learn to play musical instruments, use technology appropriately and progress in their musical understanding and skill.
– Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and musical notation.
Children are supported and appropriately challenged to know more and remember more over time, enabling them to achieve the end-of-key-stage expectations. Through this, we equip them with the cultural capital, confidence and collaborative skills needed to succeed in further education and adult life, and to contribute positively to society and the common good.
Curriculum Implementation for Music
At Holy Cross, children are provided with regular opportunities to listen, play, sing, compose, perform and evaluate music within class lessons and wider school life. Music is taught in accordance with the National Curriculum and is supported by the Charanga scheme of work in Key Stages 1 and 2. In EYFS, music is delivered through the relevant music statements within Development Matters.
The Charanga scheme ensures clear progression across year groups and exposure to a broad range of musical styles and genres. As a spiral curriculum, it enables children to revisit and build upon prior learning, deepening their understanding and confident use of musical vocabulary and concepts. This approach supports children in knowing more and remembering more over time.
Lessons provide opportunities for instrumental work, composition, improvisation and the development of the inter-related dimensions of music, leading to regular opportunities for performance and evaluation.
Each child has personal login access to Charanga, allowing them to continue their music learning at home, with engagement monitored by class teachers. Ongoing formative assessment takes place within lessons through teacher observation, questioning and feedback. Assessment also includes opportunities for children to give small performances to their class, allowing them to demonstrate their developing skills in singing, playing or composing, and to reflect on and evaluate their own and others’ work. Progress is measured against end-of-key-stage expectations to ensure strong musical development for all.
