Music at Cherry Hinton Primary School

Overview

In music at Cherry Hinton Primary School our pupils will experience and appreciate a variety of music from around the world, and appreciate music’s link to well-being. They will be able, keep time/rhythm, and have the opportunity to perform in a concert/choir and to play an

At Cherry Hinton Primary School, music is a valued part of the curriculum and school life and is rooted in our Christian vision and values of Agape (love for others), Courage, and Thankfulness. Through music, children are supported to flourish as individuals, express themselves creatively, and develop kind hearts, showing respect for the talents, cultures and contributions of others.

Our music curriculum uses the Music Model Curriculum from Charanga to support teachers in following and enriching the National Curriculum for Music. The curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced so that children build knowledge, skills and understanding progressively from Key Stage One to Key Stage Two. All children are included and supported to succeed, regardless of background or starting point, so that every child can grow as an inquisitive thinker and inspired learner.

Key Stage One

In Key Stage One, children develop their musical understanding through their voices, movement and play. They sing, clap, chant, rhyme and dance to develop a secure sense of rhythm and pulse. These experiences build confidence and enjoyment, encouraging children to show courage by joining in, exploring new sounds and asking questions about how music works.

Children use a range of tuned and untuned instruments and learn to organise sounds to create a beginning, middle and end to a piece of music. They listen carefully to a variety of musical styles and begin to describe what they hear, developing thankfulness for different sounds, traditions and forms of expression, and nurturing kind hearts as they listen respectfully to one another’s ideas and performances.

Key Stage Two

In Key Stage Two, children build on prior learning and develop increasing accuracy, control and expression. They perform, compose and improvise in groups, learning to listen attentively and respond to others with respect and encouragement. This reflects agape, as children work collaboratively, value one another’s contributions and support each other as kind-hearted members of the school community.

Children develop and apply musical vocabulary to describe music from a range of historical periods and cultures. This supports a broad and balanced understanding of music and encourages children to be inquisitive thinkers, while helping them to form their own musical identities as inspired learners.

Enrichment:

Children further develop their musical skills through regular lessons from music specialists from St Andrew’s Music School, linked to the local Church of England. Throughout the year, they use a variety of instruments including keyboards, steel pans and glockenspiels. Across both key stages, children listen to a wide range of high-quality music and take part in a weekly whole-school singing assembly, which strengthens community, belonging and shared joy.

Music is actively promoted, celebrated and enriched throughout the school. Singing plays a central role in collective worship and supports spiritual development. The school provides a range of extra-curricular music opportunities, including piano lessons, Rock Steady group lessons and class group choirs, many of which are supported by the school budget to ensure access for pupils from all backgrounds. These opportunities enable children to develop courage through performance and perseverance, and to recognise their gifts with thankfulness.

Whole-school celebrations throughout the year include singing and live music, and in the Summer term, children in Years 5 and 6 perform a musical production. These experiences allow children to serve the school community, build confidence and show agape by supporting and encouraging one another.

By the time children leave Cherry Hinton Primary School, they are confident and enthusiastic musicians who can sing with others, play instruments such as the glockenspiel, and talk knowledgeably about music from different cultures and historical periods. They enjoy listening to, performing and creating music, understand how music can affect emotions and wellbeing, and use music as a means of self-expression. Through music, children grow as inquisitive thinkers, inspired learners, and young people with kind hearts, developing thankfulness, courage and love for others, enabling them to flourish.