Music

Music is an important part of the primary curriculum because it supports children’s overall development, including skills linked to cognitive development, language, and early maths, while also helping them express emotions, build confidence, and develop social skills through group activities. It encourages creativity and imagination, introduces children to different cultures, and enhances wellbeing, making learning more engaging and memorable. For parents, valuing and reinforcing music at home—through singing, listening, or simple activities—helps strengthen these benefits and supports their child’s growth across multiple areas.

At Staverton Primary School we Kapow for our Music curriculum. Kapow's primary Music scheme for mixed-age classes offers a spiral curriculum designed to teach key skills and knowledge through performing, listening and composing.

Key Features for Mixed-Age Classes:

Flexible Structure: The curriculum includes dedicated long-term plans for mixed-age settings, allowing, for instance, a Year 3/4 class to follow a coherent curriculum that builds on previous learning without repeating lessons.
Themed Units: Music is taught through exciting topics such as "Superheroes" (pitch) or "Space" (structure).
Spiral Approach: Core skills and concepts (pulse, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, structure) are revisited in different contexts, allowing for both introduction and mastery across the age ranges.
Integrated Learning: Each unit incorporates singing, playing instruments (often tuned percussion), improvisation, and composition.
Comprehensive Resources: Includes video tutorials, interactive presentations, and clear, structured lesson plans.

What children experience:

Performance: Opportunities to perform songs, rhymes, and instrumental pieces in groups.

Listening: Active listening tasks that build confidence in describing musical elements (dynamics, tempo).
Composing: Creating their own melodies and rhythms.
Music History: Exposure to a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, ragtime, and classical music

Please find further details for Cycle A and Cycle B here:

Music: Curriculum guides for parents and carers — mixed-age

First Access - NMPAT - Northamptonshire Music & Performing Arts Trust

A photo of children in Y3 and Y4 enjoy weekly lessons over a term from NMPAT learning Samba drumming which always culminates in an amazing performance!

Staverton Primary School has a close relationship with NMPAT which underpins our First Access offer, ensuring that all our children have the opportunity to play a musical instrument as they move through the school. We want our children to know the enjoyment, self-achievement, interest and understanding of playing an instrument

Peripatetic music teachers offer lessons in:

Strings (violin and ‘cello)
Brass (trombone, trumpet / cornet, horns, euphoniums)
Guitar (electric and acoustic)
Piano and Keyboard

These lessons are held within school hours. The lessons are paid for by parents/guardians and pupil premium funding is used whenever possible to maximise pupil opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. Instruments are available on loan from the music service for any child wanting to participate in these lessons. An annual report is written by the peripatetic teachers and parents can request a meeting to discuss their child’s progress. Details on applying for these lessons are sent out to parents/guardians on a regular basis. Children are encouraged to play these instruments in ensembles, weekly class music lessons and performances when opportunities arise. The school has a positive working relationship with NMPAT and actively encourages children to join one of the local Music and Arts Centres.

Our Music Curriculum

At Staverton CE Primary School Music is taught weekly by a Class Teacher or HLTA from Yrs 1 to 6. Each class has a one-hour lesson per week with children working as a whole class or in small groups. In our Nursery and Reception class, music is taught every week and is revisited throughout the week.

Planning is based on KAPOW ensuring our planned curriculum matches the scope and ambition of the Model Music Curriculum: 2021. Content is adapted and scaffolded so that it meets the needs of our school and to ensure that all children are able to access the curriculum. Additional resources such as a range of percussion instruments are used to supplement the scheme and children with SEND have additional adult support to enable them to access music lessons.

Our music lessons are taught using the same quality first teaching principles that we use across all other curriculum areas, based on the Rosenshine Principles. Within music, planning also identifies:

Musical elements to be addressed
Key vocabulary
Background information and teaching tips
Assessment opportunities.

Children at Staverton Primary School have many varied opportunities to perform, experience and engage in musical experiences as they move through the school. These include:

Young Voices – in Birmingham for children in KS2
The Big Sing – Y4 joining other Y4 children within PDET at the Derngate theatre - 2024
School productions – Annual Nursery, Reception and KS1 Nativity and KS2 Summer Production
Performances from NMPAT musicians – biennial band performance with singing and different ensembles at various times of the year eg brass ensemble
Participation in church services
Our choir joining the church choir annually for a Christmas carol concert in church
Staverton’s Got Talent where children showcase their musical talents
Children playing musical instruments during Collective Worship

Documents

Peterborough Diocese Education Trust

PDET is a family of Church of England Schools across Northamptonshire, Peterborough and Rutland.

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