Music

"Without music, life would be a mistake"

Friedrich Nietzsche

The intention of the music curriculum at West End is for children to take an active part in music making in a variety of ways. They will hone practical skills in using their voices as well as instruments and technology to create and perform music.  

We want the music lessons to be inspiring; engaging the children with songs, lyrics and movement. We want the children to feel able to be reflective and expressive, developing their own appreciation of music with the opportunities we provide as a school. All children are actively encouraged and given the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, from standard classroom instruments to class instrumental lessons in Year 5 with the visiting peripatetic staff from Lancashire Music Service.  Music is planned in-line with the statements laid out in the national curriculum.

We want to inspire an interest and curiosity in a range of musical styles and traditions and to use music as a way to learn about other cultures. Through our scheme, pupils have exposure to and appraisal of a broad range of musical genres.  

We endeavour to inspire children to find music that moves them, that they will continue to take joy from throughout their lives, as their tastes change and mature. Children will also learn the fundamental elements, or interrelated dimension of music, recognise how different musicians use them to create different effects, and how they can use these themselves to perform, improvise and compose. We will build the children’s knowledge and skills in music to enable them to take part in performances and appreciate different aspects of the music they hear as they get older. We will encourage them to form opinions about their tastes in music, alongside an awareness of different styles and traditions from different times and places. Children will have the opportunity to foster their instrumental flare and use this as a form of expression.

In KS1, the children enjoy singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes. They have the opportunity to play both tuned and percussion instruments which they use to create, select and combine sounds. They also listen and move to a wide range of music.  

Children in KS2 build on the skills acquired in KS1 so that, by the end of Year 6, they sing and play with increasing control and self-confidence. They deepen their understanding of music in the world and the significance of music through history.

Our Roadmap

Our Progression Document