Our approach
Reception
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6

Our approach

As a school we greatly value the contribution music makes to everyday life and ensure all children learn how to read, play and compose music. Fostering an enjoyment of music, whether listening to it, singing and/ or playing an instrument. 

Our Ark Castledown Curriculum gives pupils the opportunity to develop understanding of music building an ethos of musical enjoyment and proficiency, for both pupils and teachers.

We believe music plays a vital role in the development of pupils in all aspects of learning; from reasoning, language, memorisation and coordination.  We have invested in our music programme, with a vocal coach, ukulele teacher and ambitious curriculum to build cultural capitial for our pupils.

Our extra curricular and enrichment opportunties in music give our children the chance to experience a broad, ambitious curriculum including African drumming to Samba concerts. 

Each year group builds on the previous, through a greater complexity of song, genre and style.  While they revisit and develop understanding through the same over arching key musical concepts.

Music development plan

To provide an extensive, diverse, and progressive music curriculum for all children within school. This will include an ‘all year round’ programme of performance in school and out of school

Reception

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Learn how to participate in teacher-led musical routines including: a) Whole class singing games b) Musical commands c) Turn taking. Explore vocal sounds through songs. Responds to musical routines with physical engagement and individual responses. Recognise and memorise a small repertoire of simple songs. Recognise and use the ‘5 Voices’ imaginatively.
Spring 1 Spring 2
Sing simple so-mi songs from memory with vocal accuracy. Offer made-up or improvised responses in singing games. FOCUS ON PULSE & RHYTHM Show a physical representation of - Pulse - Rhythm through spoken word & body percussion - Note duration. Use the 5 voices to gain better control of the singing voice.
Summer 1 Summer 2
Builds ensemble skills with classmates in singing games and activities. FOCUS ON PITCH Develop an understanding of note duration through the use of picture notation. Sing “So-Mi-La” songs with vocal accuracy and in unison. FOCUS ON ALL ELEMENTS Use movement to express a wide range of musical elements (Tempo, Pitch & Rhythm). Gain control over a range of 5-6 notes. Match the pitch of a vocal leader, supported by gesture.

All Reception subjects Next Reception Subject - Art and Design Technology

Year 1

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Establishing Musicianship Skills. In this unit, pupils will be exploring musicianship by participating in a range of musical games, activities. Developing an understanding of the music classroom culture, routines and expectations. Establishing Musicianship Skills. In this unit, pupils will be exploring musicianship by participating in a range of musical games, activities. Developing an understanding of the music classroom culture, routines and expectations.
Spring 1 Spring 2
Exploring musicianship: Rhythm. engage with the concept of rhythm through a variety of aural games and activities. They revisit familiar songs and activities learning to clap the rhythm of the words. Exploring musicianship: Pitch. recognise and distinguish between high and low pitch through a variety of aural games and activities. They revisit familiar songs demonstrating the two pitches using body signs and solfa hand signs, and improvise simple 2/3 note melodies.
Summer 1 Summer 2
et’s Get Creative: Creating your own music. In this unit pupils will bring together the skills and knowledge from the previous units, learning to use rhythm, pulse and pitch in the creation of their own class composition based on ‘The Gruffalo’. Showtime! Rehearsing and performing. In this unit pupils will focus on preparing their performance of their ‘Gruffalo’ compositions and two songs. They learn how to rehearse and to consider what makes a successful performance.

All Year 1 subjects Next Year 1 Subject - Art and Design Technology

Year 2

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Establishing Musicianship Skills. They will participate in a range of more complex musical games and activities designed to improve their sense of rhythm, pulse and their ability to pitch accurately. They will memorise another bank of songs and rhymes developing their musical memory and internal hearing. This repertoire will be revisited throughout the year to ensure that progression is built on prior knowledge and skills. Establishing Musicianship Skills. They will participate in a range of more complex musical games and activities designed to improve their sense of rhythm, pulse and their ability to pitch accurately. They will memorise another bank of songs and rhymes developing their musical memory and internal hearing. This repertoire will be revisited throughout the year to ensure that progression is built on prior knowledge and skills.
Spring 1 Spring 2
Exploring musicianship: Rhythm. Engage with the concept of rhythm through a variety of aural games and activities. They revisit familiar songs from Unit 1 developing their ability to clap and identify different rhythm patterns. They learn to distinguish between rhythm and pulse, improvise rhythms patterns and compose their graphic symbols Exploring musicianship: Pitch. recognize and distinguish between high and low pitch through a variety of aural games and activities. Improvise simple 3 note melodies.
Summer 1 Summer 2
Let’s Get Creative: Creating your own music. In this unit pupils will bring together the skills and knowledge from the previous units, learning to use rhythm, pulse and pitch in the creation of their own class composition based on Roald Dahl's book ‘George’s Marvelous Medicine’ Showtime! Rehearsing and performing. In this unit pupils will focus on preparing their performance of their ‘George’s Marvelous Medicine’ compositions and two songs. They learn how to rehearse and to consider what makes a successful performance.

All Year 2 subjects Next Year 2 Subject - Art and Design Technology

Year 3

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Establishing Musicianship Skills. In this unit, pupils will continue developing their musicianship; their musical memory, internal hearing and reinforcing musical elements. They develop singing through a repertoire of songs in the Pentatonic scales. Establishing Musicianship Skills. In this unit, pupils will continue developing their musicianship; their musical memory, internal hearing and reinforcing musical elements. They develop singing through a repertoire of songs in the Pentatonic scales.
Spring 1 Spring 2
Exploring musicianship: Rhythm. Develop the ability to distinguish between different rhythm patterns and learn to read and notate the rhythm of familiar songs from Unit 1. Exploring musicianship: Pitch. Further work around the pentatonic scale. Learning to sing in two parts: partner songs and rounds.
Summer 1 Summer 2
Let’s Get Creative: Creating your own music. Using skills and knowledge from previous units, pupils create their own class composition based on Freedom songs. Showtime! Rehearsing and performing. Pupils learn how to rehearse, develop and respond to rehearsal and performance directions and to consider what makes a successful performance.

All Year 3 subjects Next Year 3 Subject - Art and Design Technology

Year 4

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Establishing strong musical roots. Develop singing through a repertoire of songs, developing a deeper understanding of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, texture, structure, and tonality. Ukulele. Establishing strong musical roots. Develop singing through a repertoire of songs and reinforcing musical culture in the classroom. Ukulele.
Spring 1 Spring 2
Developing musical roots: Rhythm. Start to work with compound time. Reading, writing aurally recognising rhythms. Developing, rehearsing and performing effective rhythmic ostinati. Ukulele. Developing musical roots: Pitch. Working with the diatonic major and minor tonalities. Working with a repertoire of songs and tuned percussion to explore octaves. Ukulele.
Summer 1 Summer 2
Getting creative. Create a whole class piece inspired by World Music, either African or Latin. Contributing, rehearsing and developing musical ideas. Ukulele. Rehearsing and performing. Rehearsing and performing in small groups and whole class. Giving and receiving feedback and responding to rehearsal and performance directions. Ukulele.

All Year 4 subjects Next Year 4 Subject - Art and Design Technology

Year 5

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Establishing strong musical roots. Develop singing through a repertoire of songs, developing a deeper understanding of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, texture, structure, and tonality. Ukulele. Establishing strong musical roots. Develop singing through a repertoire of songs and reinforcing musical culture in the classroom. Ukulele.
Spring 1 Spring 2
Developing musical roots: Rhythm. Start to work with compound time. Reading, writing aurally recognising rhythms. Developing, rehearsing and performing effective rhythmic ostinati. Ukulele. Developing musical roots: Pitch. Working with the diatonic major and minor tonalities. Working with a repertoire of songs and tuned percussion to explore octaves. Ukulele.
Summer 1 Summer 2
Getting creative. Create a whole class piece inspired by World Music; either African or Latin. Incorporating basic chords on a melodic instrument into class topic work. Ukulele. Rehearsing and performing. Rehearsing and performing in small groups and whole class. Giving and receiving feedback and responding to rehearsal and performance directions. Ukulele.

All Year 5 subjects Next Year 5 Subject - Art and Design Technology

Year 6

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Establishing strong musical roots. Develop singing through a repertoire of songs, developing a deeper understanding of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, texture, structure, and tonality. Developing a deeper understanding and musical culture in the class. Establishing strong musical roots. Develop singing through a repertoire of songs and reinforcing musical culture in the classroom.
Spring 1 Spring 2
Developing musical roots: Rhythm. Start to work with compound time. Reading, writing aurally recognising rhythms. Developing, rehearsing and performing effective rhythmic ostinati Developing musical roots: Pitch. Working with the diatonic major and minor tonalities. Working with a repertoire of songs and tuned percussion to explore octaves
Summer 1 Summer 2
Getting creative. Create a whole class piece inspired by World music; either African or Latin. Rehearsing and performing. Rehearsing and performing in small groups and whole class. Giving and receiving feedback and responding to rehearsal and performance directions.

All Year 6 subjects Next Year 6 Subject - Art and Design Technology