Music Curriculum

Intent

At Benhurst Primary School, our music curriculum seeks to inspire creativity, courageous self-expression and to encourage an ambitious musical journey which offers opportunities to connect with others.

Our curriculum ensures that pupils experience a broad range of musical styles to engage and inspire them to develop their appreciation and passion for the art. Well-planned lessons promote children’s creativity and resilience by developing their reflective skills and critical evaluation of music. This broadens their listening and analysis skills, which in turn will aid their ability to compose music.

Throughout the music curriculum, children will draw upon courage and ambition to expand their self-confidence and expression through performance using a wide range of instruments and their voices.

At Benhurst, we are passionate about children developing the compassion and respect in this inclusive subject by creating a love of music within all children, regardless of their ability or background. At Benhurst, children have the chance to acquire the maximum cultural capital through enriching opportunities to experience and explore music and musical performances outside of their classroom environment.​

Implementation

At Benhurst, our holistic approach to music is enhanced by the Charanga scheme of work and Rock Steady music classes, designed to ignite creativity and inspire pupils to explore the world of music with enthusiasm and imagination. Charanga’s rich curriculum allows our pupils to engage with a wide range of musical styles and traditions, building essential musical skills while deepening their understanding of how music works. The inclusion of Rock Steady music classes gives pupils the unique opportunity to experience playing in bands, fostering teamwork and the courage to perform with confidence. This immersive approach nurtures artistic abilities, promotes the ambition to refine their talents, and instils the compassion to appreciate and respect diverse musical expressions.

For our Key Stage 2 pupils, one-on-one music sessions with specialist teachers further enhance their musical journey. These individualized lessons help develop musical talents and performance skills, while also supporting their social and emotional growth. By participating in these sessions, pupils gain a creative outlet that contributes to both emotional resilience and cognitive development. Through their exploration of music, children at Benhurst build self-confidence and a lasting love for the arts, preparing them to carry their musical passion with them beyond their time at school.

Music and the National Curriculum

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, pupils are taught to:

• Use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs, chanting, and reciting rhymes
• Play both tuned and untuned instruments musically
• Listen attentively with focus to a variety of high-quality live and recorded music
• Experiment with, create, and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music

Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2, pupils are encouraged to sing and play instruments with increasing confidence and control, while developing a greater understanding of musical composition. They learn to organise and manipulate musical ideas, and reproduce sounds from memory, fostering their creative skills in the process.

Pupils are taught to:

• Play and perform in both solo and ensemble settings, using their voices and instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control, and expression
• Improvise and compose music for a variety of purposes, using the inter-related dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with growing aural memory
• Use and understand staff notation and other musical symbols
• Appreciate and engage with a wide range of high-quality music from different cultures, traditions, and great composers
• Develop an understanding of the history of music and how it has evolved over time

At Benhurst, we believe that music education is about more than developing musical skills. It fosters creativity, teaching pupils to express their ideas and emotions through music, while also instilling compassion by exposing them to a wide range of cultures and traditions. Through music, our pupils gain the courage to take creative risks and the ambition to push their artistic boundaries, providing them with invaluable tools for personal growth and a lifelong love of the arts.

Impact

At Benhurst, the impact of our Music curriculum is profound, fostering confidence, creativity, and compassion in every pupil.

• Engagement and Enthusiasm: Our children are deeply engaged and excited by music, developing the skills necessary to appreciate and enjoy music throughout their lives. This enthusiasm nurtures a lifelong love for the arts.
• Confident Performers and Composers: Through a range of opportunities, pupils become confident performers, composers, and listeners. They express themselves musically not only within the school environment but also in broader contexts, embodying the ambition to explore their creative potential.
• Cultural Appreciation: Our children develop a deep respect for a variety of musical genres and traditions, spanning across generations and cultures. This reflects our emphasis on compassion, as pupils learn to appreciate the diversity of musical expression and its ability to unite people.
• Progression and Achievement: Pupils at Benhurst demonstrate noticeable progression throughout the music curriculum, meeting and often exceeding the national expectations by the end of each key stage. This progression reflects their growth in musical understanding, performance skills, and their courage to explore new and challenging musical experiences.

Through our Music curriculum, we empower pupils to express their individuality, build confidence, and develop a passion for music that will enrich their lives far beyond their time at Benhurst.

Year Group Overview

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