
CURRICULUM – MUSIC
INTRODUCTION TO OUR MUSIC CURRICULUM
At Camp Primary School, our music curriculum intends to inspire creativity, self-expression and encourages our children on their musical journeys as well as giving them opportunities to connect with others. We hope to foster a lifelong love of music by exposing them to diverse musical experiences and igniting a passion for music. By listening and responding to different musical styles, finding their voices as singers and performers and as composers, all will enable them to become confident, reflective musicians.
‘Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity’ (The National Curriculum)
We use Charanga (music scheme of work) to deliver a curriculum which ensures students are given the skills they need on their journey as musicians from Nursery to Year 6. This is taught within classroom activities as well as weekly singing assemblies. In the classroom, students learn how to play various un-tuned and tuned percussion instruments as well as learning the recorder in some year groups. Children are given opportunities to listen, appraise, improvise, compose and perform through a series of lessons around a given theme. We also provide opportunities for using technology when composing music.
EYFS Progression
Please click here for EYFS Progression.
Skills Developed Years 1 and 2
To perform | Take part in singing, accurately following the melody. |
Follow instructions on how and when to sing or play an instrument. | |
Make and control long and short sounds, using voice and instruments. Imitate changes in pitch. | |
To compose | Create a sequence of long and short sounds. |
Clap rhythms. | |
Create a mixture of different sounds (long and short, loud and quiet, high and low). | |
Choose sounds to create an effect. | |
Sequence sounds to create an overall effect. | |
Create short, musical patterns. | |
Create short, rhythmic phrases. | |
To transcribe | Use symbols to represent a composition and use them to help with a performance. |
To describe music | Identify the beat of a tune. |
Recognise changes in timbre, dynamics and pitch. |
Skills Developed Years 3 and 4
To perform | Sing from memory with accurate pitch. |
Sing in tune. | |
Maintain a simple part within a group. | |
Pronounce words within a song clearly. | |
Show control of voice. | |
Play notes on an instrument with care so that they are clear. | |
Perform with control and awareness of others. | |
To compose | Compose and perform melodic songs. |
Use sound to create abstract effects. | |
Create repeated patterns with a range of instruments. | |
Create accompaniments for tunes. | |
Use drones as accompaniments. | |
Choose, order, combine and control sounds to create an effect. | |
Use digital technologies to compose pieces of music. | |
To transcribe | Devise non-standard symbols to indicate when to play and rest. |
Recognise the notes EGBDF and FACE on the musical stave. | |
Recognise the symbols for a minim, crotchet and semibreve and say how many beats they represent. | |
To describe music | Use the terms: duration, timbre, pitch, beat, tempo, texture and use of silence to describe music. |
Evaluate music using musical vocabulary to identify areas of likes and dislikes. | |
Understand layers of sounds and discuss their effect on mood and feelings. |
Skills Developed Years 5 and 6
To perform | Sing or play from memory with confidence. |
Perform solos or as part of an ensemble. | |
Sing or play expressively and in tune. | |
Hold a part within a round. | |
Sing a harmony part confidently and accurately. | |
Sustain a drone or a melodic ostinato to accompany singing. | |
Perform with controlled breathing (voice) and skillful playing (instrument). | |
To compose | Create songs with verses and a chorus. |
Create rhythmic patterns with an awareness of timbre and duration. | |
Combine a variety of musical devices, including melody, rhythm and chords. | |
Thoughtfully select elements for a piece in order to gain a defined effect. | |
Use drones and melodic ostinati (based on the pentatonic scale). | |
Convey the relationship between the lyrics and the melody. | |
Use digital technologies to compose, edit and refine pieces of music. | |
To transcribe | Use the standard musical notation of crochet, minim and semibreve to indicate how many beats to play. |
Read and create notes on the musical stave. | |
Understand the purpose of the treble and bass clefs and use them in transcribing compositions. | |
Understand and use the # (sharp) and ? (flat) symbols. | |
Use and understand simple time signatures. | |
To describe music | Choose from a wide range of musical vocabulary to accurately describe and appraise music including: pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, lyrics and melody, sense of occasion, expressive, solo, rounds, harmonies, accompaniments, drones, cyclic patterns, combination of musical elements, cultural context. |
Describe how lyrics often reflect the cultural context of music and have social meaning. |