Our Music Curriculum

Children are offered a broad and balanced curriculum which builds on their knowledge, skills and understanding of music each year. Children leave our school with an appreciation of the joy of music, and the necessary skills to listen to, compose, perform and appraise musical pieces.

Music is valued highly at St Gregory's and we employ a professional Music teacher, Mr Clarke, to work with the children on a weekly basis. The children gain a wide range of musical skills during these lessons - please see the long term plan and progression of skills in Music.

Our Aims

At St Gregory's Catholic Primary School we aim to:

• Teach all children to play a range of musical instruments
• Develop children's confidence in taking an active part in music lessons, through both singing and playing musical instruments, as well as through responding and moving to music
• Encourage active involvement in creating and developing musical ideas using voices and instruments - both tuned and un-tuned
• Develop children’s ability to listen to, and appreciate a wide variety of music, including that which has a specific purpose.
• Provide opportunities for children to explore and express ideas and feelings about music in a variety of ways, for example through dance.
• Explore a range of musical elements, for example: pitch, pulse, tempo and dynamics.
• Develop a sense of group identity and togetherness through composing, rehearsing and performing music with others, to an audience.
• Increase self-discipline and creativity, aesthetic sensitivity and fulfilment. 

Key Learning in Music

In Early Years the children will encounter a curriculum rich in opportunities to explore music, following the guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage document. The children will be encouraged to listen to music and focus on how sounds can create feelings and ideas, as well as responding to musical stimuli though dance and movements. In addition, children will also create musical sounds of their own, though playing with musical instruments with increasing control and success.  
This emphasis on play and practical learning will feed into Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, as children begin the Primary National Curriculum.

In Key Stage One, children focus on listening carefully, and responding physically to, a wide range of music. They play musical instruments and sing a variety of songs from memory, adding accompaniments and creating short compositions, with increasing confidence, imagination and control. They explore and enjoy how sounds and silence can create different moods and effects. 

In Key Stage 2, children sing songs and play instruments with increasing confidence, skill and expression, as well as with an increasing awareness of their own contribution to a group or class performance. They improvise, and develop their own musical compositions, in response to a variety of different stimuli with increasing personal involvement, independence and creativity. They explore their own thoughts and emotions through responding sensitively and intellectually, to a variety of music from different times, cultures and contexts. 
 
In all classes there are children of differing abilities. We plan to provide suitable learning opportunities for all children, by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child, as well as effectively deploying adult support.

Famous Composers - 'Composer of the Week'

Each week, children learn about a famous classical composer.

Each morning, as part of our wellbeing sessions, children participate in a 'listening party' to listen to, reflect on and respond to the music of these famous composers:

Popular Genres - Genre of the Week

In addition to 'Composer of the Week', we have recently introduced 'Genre of the Week'. This is designed to expose the children to genres of music that they otherwise wouldn't be familiar with!