At St Mary's, we believe that Music is an essential part of a balanced education for all children. Music is a powerful, unique form of communication and is a vehicle for self-expression; develops confidence, perseverance, co-ordination and memory; promotes co-operation, a sense of group identity and friendship; increases creativity, sensitivity and can inspire and motivate. 

We provide children with a broad Music education, which includes performing, composing, listening, reviewing and evaluating music, we make singing a part of every child’s school life through all the key stages. All children will experience music through class performances, worship, hymn practice, classroom music lessons and music enrichment which happens throughout the year. 

Children may wish to have private music lessons in school on keyboard or guitar from our visiting peripatetic teacher. Please contact the office for more details.

Music – Progression of Knowledge, Understanding and Skills (How Music is taught at St Mary’s)

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education engages and inspires pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increases their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon. At St Mary’s we use a musical programme called Charanga which provides teachers with weekly lessons, assessment, progression, and engaging and exciting whiteboard resources to support all the requirements of the national curriculum.

 In line with the curriculum for music and guidance from Ofsted, this Scheme moves away from the previous levels and learning objective/outcome concepts to an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning. Ofsted have stated “We will not always know the learning outcomes” so segregated learning objectives at the start of each lesson are not appropriate.

Instead, the interrelated dimensions of music weave through the units to encourage the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing.

How the Scheme is structured:

Each Unit of Work comprises strands of musical learning which correspond with the national curriculum for music: Listening and Appraising; Musical Activities; Warm-up Games; Optional Flexible Games; Singing; Playing instruments; Improvisation; Composition; Performing The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils: Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and tradition, including the works of the great composers and musicians Learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

We hold musical performances for every year group every year. (Rec / KS1 – Harvest/Nativity/ Easter  KS2 Christmas Carol Service, Harvest and Easter Service. Y6 – summer production and St Mary's Got Talent)