Music

At Laycock Primary School we believe that Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. We want all children to have access to a high-quality music education, which should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

We follow the Kapow scheme of learning which focuses on developing the skills, knowledge and understanding that children need in order to become confident performers, composers, and listeners. Our curriculum introduces children to music from all around the world and across generations, teaching children to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities.

Children will develop the musical skills of singing, playing tuned and untuned instruments, improvising and composing music, and listening and responding to music. They will develop an understanding of the history and cultural context of the music that they listen to and learn how music can be written down. Through music, children develop transferable skills such as team-working, leadership, creative thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and presentation and performance skills. 

Kapow Primary’s Music scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets outlined in the National curriculum and the aims of the scheme align with those in the National curriculum.

We intend to inspire children to perform, listen to and review/evaluate a wide range of music. This consists of listening and evaluating, improvising and composing, creating sound and playing instruments, engaging with music, notation and performing. We will use high quality resources from top music education websites and provide opportunities for live music/ workshops/ visitors to school to perform for the children. Every Key Stage including EYFS follows the Kapow scheme of learning which is documented in the school’s long term plan.

Each unit is designed to capture pupils’ imagination and encourage them to explore music enthusiastically. Over the course of the scheme, children will be taught how to sing fluently and expressively, and play tuned and untuned instruments accurately and with control. They will learn to recognise, demonstrate and name the interrelated dimensions of music - pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics - and use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions.

Children progress in terms of tackling more complex tasks and doing more simple tasks better, as well as developing understanding and knowledge of the history of music, staff, and other musical notations, the interrelated dimensions of music and more.

The impact of Kapow Primary’s Music scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. We aim for all our pupils to leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to be able to enjoy and appreciate music throughout their lives.

By the end of their time at Laycock they will be able to:

• Be confident performers, composers and listeners and will be able to express themselves musically at and beyond school.

• Show an appreciation and respect for a wide range of musical styles from around the world and will understand how music is influenced by the wider cultural, social, and historical contexts in which it is developed.

• Understand the various ways in which music can be written down to support performing and composing activities.

• Demonstrate and articulate an enthusiasm for music and be able to identify their own personal musical preferences.

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Music.