MUSIC

🎵 Music at Somerford Primary school 

Intent

At Somerford, we believe that music is a powerful and essential part of every child’s education. Our music curriculum is designed to:

• Inspire a lifelong love of music in every pupil.
• Build confidence and creativity through singing, composing, listening and performing.
• Develop musical knowledge and skills progressively from EYFS to Year 6.
• Expose children to a wide range of musical styles, genres, instruments and cultures.
• Offer memorable opportunities to perform, compose and experience live music.
• Ensure full access to music education for all children.

Music at Somerford is for everyone – supporting emotional wellbeing, creativity, collaboration, and a strong sense of identity and belonging.

Implementation

We use the Charanga music scheme, a progressive, spiral curriculum aligned with the EYFS Framework and National Curriculum for Music

Every class has a timetabled 1-hour music lesson each week, delivered in our music room. The space is fully equipped with a wide range of instruments and resources, creating an exciting and purposeful learning environment for all children.

Pupils in Early Years are given opportunities to be imaginative and investigate and experience things, and have a go. They are given the freedom to freely explore resources, sing songs, make music and dance and experiment with ways of changing them. There is an emphasis on independence and self-initiated learning.

In KS1 children are taught to use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes. They will play tuned and untuned instruments and listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music. Children will experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.  

In KS2 children are taught to play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression. They will improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music and listen with attention to detail, recalling sounds with increased aural memory. Children will use and understand staff and other musical notations and appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers.

With the support of SoundStorm Music Hub, Year 4 pupils enjoy a specialist-led Samba drumming project, learning complex rhythms, teamwork, and cultural appreciation.

Music lessons follow the “I do, we do, you do” teaching model:

• Teachers model new musical skills clearly.
• Children practise together through guided group work.
• Pupils apply their learning independently or in small groups

This approach supports progression, confidence, and engagement for all learners.

Whole-School Music Culture

• Weekly Whole-School Singing Assemblies bring our school community together to learn and perform songs, develop vocal skills, and celebrate the joy of music.
• Pupils also have the opportunity to join Rocksteady Music School, forming real bands and learning guitar, keyboard, drums and vocals in a fun, collaborative setting

Enrichment and Live Music Opportunities

We enrich our curriculum with visits from a wide range of professional musicians. These exciting, interactive sessions inspire children and broaden their understanding of musical styles and instruments. Visitors have included:

• Opera singers sharing vocal technique and storytelling through music
• Rappers exploring rhythm, rhyme and wordplay
• Percussion ensembles showcasing drumming traditions from around the world
• Brass groups delivering dynamic, high-energy performances

 Throughout their time at Somerford, children are offered many occasions to perform. These include:

• EYFS and KS1 nativities
• School concerts and productions
• Performances at the Regent Centre, a professional local theatre
• Young Voices at the O2, where our choir joins thousands of others in the world’s largest school choir

Professional Development & Support

• We receive support from SoundStorm Music Hub, who not only provide expert-led workshops for pupils but also high-quality CPD to all members of staff.

Impact

By the time children leave Somerford, they will:

• Have a secure understanding of key musical concepts and vocabulary.
• Be confident performers, composers and listeners.
• Be able to read and write simple notation.
• Have experienced and responded to music from a wide range of cultures, genres and time periods.
• Have developed a sense of pride, confidence and joy in their musical achievements.

Music assessment is ongoing and based on:

• Teacher observations
• Pupil voice and self-assessment
• Performance opportunities

Skills in music are progressive and build upon year on year. The Music lead will monitor the impact of music by conducting learning walks and listening to pupil voice.