At St Mary’s, Music helps children develop their God-given gifts and enjoy making music together. We want children to become thoughtful listeners, confident performers and imaginative composers who value their own contributions and those of others.

Children develop understanding of pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture and structure through practical musical experiences. They encounter different traditions and explore how music communicates meaning.

Our selected Kapow units provide a sequence of singing, instrumental playing, listening and composition. Reception combines adult-led activities with exploration through play. Learning develops towards more accurate, expressive and independent work, including ensemble performance in Year 6.

Teachers model short phrases and rehearse manageable steps. Visual cues, accessible instruments and carefully selected notes support participation. Children listen to one another, discuss their choices and revisit performances to improve them.

Assemblies, Mass, Nativities and productions provide further opportunities to apply learning. Every child in Year 5 has ukulele lessons. Optional paid tuition in violin, guitar and piano provides further opportunities to learn an instrument.

We look for growing musical control, attentive listening and purposeful creative choices. Singing, playing, discussion and short recordings help teachers understand what each child knows and can do. Progress includes using musical vocabulary and notation more accurately and explaining how a performance or composition could improve.