St. David’s provides a carefully constructed music curriculum which enables each child to feel successful and reach their full potential by; learning to play a range of instruments, understanding the elements and theory of music, singing regularly, listening to and responding to music from different ages and genres, composing music and performing in front of audiences.

We recognise that children have a love of music to various degrees when they first arrive at our school, such as an interest in favourite bands, songs, singers, musicals or movie soundtracks. We weave and develop this interest during their time with us by broadening and enriching musical experiences whilst further developing knowledge, understanding, confidence, creativity and a sense of achievement.

Our curriculum is carefully constructed to ensure children are immersed in music from a range of cultures, eras and genres. Our children learn about musicians and their life-stories in order to develop a picture of the profession of a musician. They learn how to listen carefully to a composition, in order to understand how music is made up of many interesting and purposeful elements. We allow children to respond to music using all of the senses and to feel free in expressing themselves to what they hear. Immersing them in this way, inspires our children to develop their talent as musicians.

Children in our school are particularly empowered by learning to play instruments, singing and performing together. The high-quality integral instrumental tuition, also known as ‘Wider Opportunities’ enables a range of instruments to be learnt during their time with us. Small informal concerts for other classes and parents, gives our children a sense of achievement and pride, as well as an intrinsic sense of musicianship.

Across the school, the children will move from exploring sounds, responding to music and constructing their own musical experiences through play-based opportunities, to learning to play instruments using notation, musical scripts and their own compositions.  

Music is taught in half termly units with careful consideration to the national curriculum expectations and the model music curriculum emphasis on singing, listening, composing and performing. A variety of resources are used to ensure the curriculum is exciting, relevant and engaging whilst also ensuring pupils make progress across the school.

MOD Schools Music Service resources, Sing Up and Charanga schemes are predominantly used. An integral part of the curriculum are the Wider Opportunities projects, which give children a chance to learn a range of instruments within a spiralling curriculum so that children can continue to further musical skills and deepen understanding each time. The whole class musical instruments learnt across the school are: djembe drums, ukulele, recorder and glockenspiel.

At the beginning of music lessons, music from Classroom 200 (ABRSM) and suggestions from the Model Curriculum are used as an opportunity to listen carefully and respond to music, whilst learning musical elements and vocabulary.

Singing and performing together is an important part of school life and weekly singing assemblies give all children the opportunity to listen and respond to music from different eras, learn singing skills and perform in different ways. At particular times of the year, singing assemblies support preparation for performances including the St. Martin performance in the local church and Fasching celebrations, when children predominantly learn popular German songs.

Throughout the year, music clubs are open to all children, giving them opportunity to enhance singing skills or play an instrument such as guitar and keyboard.

In the Early Years, careful planning and resourcing within the continuous provision enables children to develop steps towards the early learning goals in Being Imaginative and Creative.  Adults support child-led interests in singing and moving in time to music and initiate musical creativity in response to other curricular opportunities, real-life experiences or changes in the environment.