Purpose of study

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education 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. 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.

DfE Statutory guidance – National curriculum in England: art and design programmes of study. Published 11 September 2013

Holland Park Curriculum Intent Statement for Music

At Holland Park Primary School, we offer a music curriculum that is broad and balanced and allows our children to gain a firm understanding of what music is. We provide opportunities to do this through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community, and for their own wellbeing.

Our aim is to:

• Build a music curriculum that is progressive and builds on previous learning
• Promote a love of music and singing across a broad curriculum
• Teach music in a thematic and enjoyable way, alongside other areas of the curriculum
• Teach the music curriculum in an experiential, practical way
• Encourage children to participate in opportunities to demonstrate a love of music and to showcase their skills.

Holland Park Curriculum Principles for Music

How we are going to achieve everything that is set out in the curriculum

Non-negotiables/expectations for staff and pupils

• Holland Park Primary School uses ‘Charanga Musical School’ for all planning,
• Schemes of work and resources.
• Planning can be accessed on the website, saved electronically and printed as a physical document if and when required, for all year groups.
• All staff are responsible for providing an engaging musical curriculum for
• their class.
• All year groups are to be provided with regular 30 minute music sessions.
• KS1 and KS2 each have a weekly singing assembly where they learn the relevant singing skills. 
• Children are engaged in their learning and are all collaborating with practical experiences.
• Previous knowledge is re-capped and assessed to check understanding.
• Clear models are provided through the use of teacher models and/or Charanga demonstrations.
• Children are exploring and are curious about playing different instruments both tuned and untuned, collaborative during appraisals of a wide variety of genres of songs and music.
• Teachers are using AfL through frequent review and they challenge misconceptions.
• Children and staff are connecting learning through re-capping, revisiting and revising.
• Children are ‘going deeper’ in their learning and exploring higher order questions.
• Children can also reflect on their learning and are clear on the next steps.
• Teachers are asking questions to check understanding.
• Children can explain what they have learnt.
• Children are provided with feedback to help them move forward in their learning.
• Children are challenged and thinking is stretched through targeted higher-order questioning.