Music Development Plan

Music Development Plan

Academy: LACO
Local music hub: Kent
Music lead: Thierry Zimmerman
Principal: Julie Forsythe

Date Written: September 2025, Updated January 2026

Review date: July 2026

Music Development Plan

1 – Overall objective

At Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard, we intend for pupils to be able to perform, listen to, review and evaluate music. This will be across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of composers and musicians. They will learn to sing and control their voice as a musical instrument, to create and compose music on their own and with others, and have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument.

Within each module, students revisit existing knowledge and skills and then build upon and extend them. Learning is consolidated, allowing for increasing musical confidence, while constantly being challenged to go further. Children also have the opportunity to extend this further through extracurricular. 

We are proud to offer a range of extracurricular activities for our students including young voices and iRock. These activities are designed to complement and enhance the music curriculum, providing students with opportunities to develop their skills and interests in musical theatre.

Participating in music extra-curricular activities at school has many benefits, including increased confidence, creating a passion for the arts and the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team. It also offers a chance for students to explore their creativity and self-expression in a supportive environment. This allows the children to explore what may be a possible career choice in their future. We intend to allow students to explore and build a love for music. 

Current Self-Evaluation

In class: Developing teacher's CPD

Action: Lesson observations to identify gaps followed by whole staff CPD 

Beyond the classroom: other clubs, further opportunities for the choir to perform, training, opening LACO’s got talent to more.

Action: (other clubs) Musical theatre club set up in term 2. (choir) performed at Bluewater. Reach out to organisations to seek further opportunities. (LACO’s got talent) Now more acts are selected from each year.

The community and partnerships: connecting further with organisations (Kent Music Hub, Culture Champions, finish this…)

Action: JV has started cultural champions, TZ has attended Kent Hub meetings and made connections, Finish this is now in its second year and will be in year 2, 4 and SRP.

2 – Key components 

Currently

• Scheme to support Model Music Curriculum- Sing Up!

• Progression map

• Young Voices/ Choir 

• Timetabled music lessons each week/ shorter music tasks being implemented.

• Dedicated subject lead with leadership time 

• School band - iRock

• Culture Champion 

• Drama4all workshops are continuing to happen, making sure they link to learning.

• Performance opportunities - Young Voices, Bluewater carol singing 

• Whole school singing assemblies.

Action

• Work with partner secondary school Ebbsfleet Academy

• Explore tuition opportunities & funding

• Look at LACO’s Got Talent for 2026/27

• TA training on Sing Up!

• Young voices to be a year group trip

• Choir to be more accessible

• Work with a cultural team to design Create Day

3 – Classroom instrumental teaching 

• Tuned and untuned  Instruments- Yr R, Yr 1, Yr 2, Yr 3, Yr 4, Yr 5, Yr 6 (teacher led)

• iRock (Yr 3, Yr 4, Yr 5) Guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Vocalist (taught by an external music specialist)

Action

• Look into purchasing class sets

• Focusing on specific instruments for each unit- when needed.

4 – Implementation of key components 

• Curriculum map

• Linked supporting documents 

• Whole school singing assemblies linked to different themes

• FSF document 

• LACO’s got talent 

• Choir performances

• Young Voices performance at the O2

5 – Communication activities

• use of Dojo and school story to update on opportunities and showcase events that had happened 

• use of the curriculum website

• music to be included in year groups termly newsletter

6 – Evaluation process for the success of the Music Development Plan

• pupil voice

• staff survey

• subject monitoring 

  • Term 1: Implementing Sing Up!

  • Term 2: Staff survey (include CPD opportunities) & pupil voice.

  • Term 3: Lesson observations

  • Term 4: check FSF

  • Term 5: Planning & check FSF

  • Term 6: Curriculum review - CPD, progression maps, LTP for next academic year, FSF & data, Pupil voice

• monitoring FSF grids

• reviewed every 12 weeks. 

7 – Transition work with local secondary academies

• Children can keep their recorders into year 7 to continue learning and to grow their interest in music. 

• Working with local secondary schools (Ebbsfleet)

  • Possible transition day

8 – Budget materials and staffing

• iRock

• Purchase 60 recorders for the next academic year 

9 – Pupil Premium and SEND provision

• After school clubs such as drama club or 

• Young voices 

• SRP taking part in Finish This…

• Club data

10 – Summary Action Plan

• Implement Sing Up!

• Making choir accessible

• Set up Kent music instrument lessons

• Review planning for next year 

• Culture champion for 26/27

• Review Finish This after term 3- success of SRP, year 2 and year 4.

• Purchase new recorders for next year