Subject Overview

At Saltergate Schools, we aim to develop our children’s knowledge and understanding of all aspects of music in an enjoyable environment and promote the creative development of all our children. Within a broad, balanced, and progressive programme, we aim to ensure that each child reaches their potential whilst promoting self-esteem and mutual respect. In our school, music brings our school community together through the shared endeavour of whole school singing, choirs, music clubs, class ensembles, experimenting with the creative process and, through the love of listening to each other perform. The sheer joy of music making feeds the soul of our school community, enriching every child, while strengthening the shared bonds of support and trust which makes our school a great school.

EYFS

In the EYFS, our children’s music experiences are based on the relevant statements taken from the 'Expressive Arts and Design' and 'Communication and Language' Early Learning Goals. Our children have daily opportunities to sing, play musical games, explore sounds, dance and move to different kinds of music. Although some of these activities are integrated throughout the day, discrete music lessons are also planned on a weekly basis. We focus on developing our children’s listening skills and teaching our children to sing simple songs from memory. Our children have opportunities to match movement to music by responding to their own singing, tuned or untuned percussion instruments or to a pre-recorded piece of music. Our children use percussion instruments and their body and vocal sounds to recognise and explore how sounds can be changed and they also investigate how to create repeated sounds and sound patterns.

KS1

In KS1, our children have weekly lessons which are taught by our music specialist teacher. Our lessons include focused teaching and learning to develop our children's knowledge and skills of pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, structure, texture and composition. Every lesson includes singing and/or playing instruments to create and perform music. Some lessons will also include opportunities for children to listen to and appraise a range of music from different times, cultures and countries. All our Year 2 children learn how to play the recorder. In addition, our lessons are supplemented by a weekly Singing Practice, during which our children learn about famous composers. Moreover, every day our children actively take part in singing songs which are linked to their learning or their classroom routines. 

KS2

In Key Stage 2, each year group learns to play a different musical instrument during their weekly music lesson. These lessons are taught by our music specialist, who follows our bespoke plans which ensure the progression of our children’s musical knowledge and skills. Our Year 3 children extend their recorder skills.  Our Year 4 children learn to play the glockenspiel. Our Year 5 children learn to play the ukulele. Our Year 6 children learn to play the cajon drums...they also learn to beatbox and compose raps too! Our children also develop their understanding of the history of music by listening to and appraising a wide range of music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians.