Music

The national curriculum for music aims to 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 the great composers and musicians

• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence

• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations

INTENT

At Leiston Primary school, our music curriculum intent is to inspire children to have a love of music. Our goal is for all pupils to:

•  Have an opportunity to experience, explore and compose with different types of instruments from around the world.
• Have an opportunity to perform to an audience, building their confidence and self-esteem, in school and out.
•  Have an understanding of music theory and the inter related dimensions to develop their knowledge.
• Experience listening to a diverse range of music including links with history and social events and developing social justice.
• Promote that hard work and determination is needed to develop an instrument – skills they can later use in their working life.

IMPLEMENTATION

Our school will be using the Kapow Music scheme, an integrated, practical, exploratory, and child-led approach to music delivered through weekly lessons. This scheme focuses on listening and appraising, creating and exploring through musical activities, and involves singing, playing instruments, and performing. All musical learning is centered on the Interrelated Dimensions of Music: pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure, and notation. The units of work help our pupils understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach, leading to deeper learning and mastery of musical skills as they progress through each year group.

These experiences include:

• Weekly whole class (Year 5) instrumental lessons provided by Suffolk County Music
• Each year group to be taught a musical instrument. 
• Musical performances celebrating our instrumentalists' achievements, with invitations extended to families. KS1 - Christmas performance; KS2 Summer production.
• Participation in concert hall performances with Snape Maltings
• Engagement with outreach musical projects
• Musical workshops at local high schools
• Integration of music into our annual Sports Day, with each house performing a ‘walk-on’ to a chosen piece
• School performances and productions
• Visits to live theatre shows and musical performances

IMPACT

Through our curriculum, we aim to foster students' creativity, enabling them to express themselves and build character. We strive to instill a sense of belonging in the world by encouraging the enjoyment of diverse musical experiences and highlighting the positive impact music can have on mental health. Our goal is to provide access to music for those who may lack such opportunities, promoting a variety of styles and genres to broaden their musical horizons. Ultimately, we want students to enjoy music in any form they choose—whether as listeners, performers, or creators.