Music

Here at Crackley Bank Primary School we follow a progressive scheme for music that helps to develop skills in each year group. We know the value of a strong music curriculum and our online resources hep non-specialist teachers to deliver high-quality lessons.  

The school’s intent is to give all our children exposure to a wide range of music, musical styles and instruments. With singing at the heart of our music curriculum, the children experience a wide range of songs, both old and new. Singing helps the children to develop an understanding of pulse, rhythm, pitch and tone. Alongside class sessions, weekly whole school singing is led by 2 teachers with musical backgrounds. Through singing, the children understand how musical styles and genres have changed over time and how we can enjoy both up-to-date modern music, whilst appreciating older music. We look at different cultural styles of singing through class units and weekly assemblies. At Christmas the children experience singing traditional Christmas Carols as well as enjoying classic sing-a-long Christmas songs.  

The children are exposed to musical instruments throughout school, with skills being developed and built upon each year. In Years 3, 4 and 5 instrumental units are integrated within the curriculum. 

In the Early Years, musical instruments are explored through play and discussion.  

In Key Stage One, children experiment with un-tuned instruments – adding these to songs in appropriate places. They will experiment with using the xylophone as part of their teaching sessions, where appropriate.  

In Key Stage Two the children develop their understanding of tuned instruments, such as recorders and djembe drums.  

Developing their musical notation reading is important too. This develops from pictures representing each instrument and when to play it in KS1, to reading basic treble clef notation in KS2.  

As a school, we participate in community singing events, such as concerts with the local high school and Young Voices. We invite parents to attend class assembly performances and the nativity in EYFS. We have a school choir in KS2 and look to extend this into KS1 too.