St Mary's Catholic Primary School

Music is an integral and well-resourced part of life at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. We want the music lessons to be fun and inspiring, engaging the children with songs, lyrics and movement. We want the children to feel able, 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 individual instrumental lessons with the visiting peripatetic staff.

We believe that a music curriculum which inspires creativity is the entitlement of all children. Our aims in teaching music include the following:

The children:

• know and understand that music can be expressed in many different forms and organised into musical structures;
• are given the opportunity to play and perform a variety of different musical instruments, both solo and ensemble;
• listen to a range of musical forms and be able to comment on the various elements;
• understand how music is composed and written down;
• know how music is influenced by the time, place and purpose for which it was written;
• develop the interrelated skills of performing, composing and appreciating music;
• learn to sing and use their voices expressively and creatively;
• connect with music and use it as a celebration of life;
• recognise the diverse nature of music and how different cultures are reflected in it.