Music

Music at Aylesham Primary School

Music is an important part of life at Aylesham. We believe every child should experience the joy of making music, listening to music, and understanding its power to bring people together. Our curriculum is designed to:

• Be ambitious and knowledge-rich, preparing children for secondary school.
• Build skills step by step, so learning is progressive and connected.
• Inspire pride in our local community while introducing children to music from around the world.
• Expose pupils to a rich and diverse range of musical styles and genres.
• Embed our school values of resilience, teamwork, creativity, and flying high.
• Help children appreciate music from different cultures and communities with respect.

How We Teach Music

• Key Stage 1: Music is taught using the Kapow Primary Scheme, which provides engaging lessons and builds strong foundations.
• Key Stage 2: Lessons are delivered by a music specialist, using Kapow skills as a base and adding bespoke elements from the Tacit approach (such as feeling the beat).
• Children in Key Stage 2 have the chance to learn instruments like recorder, clarinet, ukulele, keyboard, and percussion. Singing underpins all musical learning.
• Every child takes part in weekly singing practice, building confidence and harmony skills.

What Children Learn

Music at Aylesham is built around five strands:

1. Active Listening and Musical Literacy
2. Creating Sounds
3. Notation
4. Improvising and Composing
5. Performing

Through these strands, children develop:

• Substantive Knowledge (knowing what):

  • Names of instruments and their characteristics
  • Musical terminology (pitch, tempo, rhythm)
  • Symbols in notation and what they mean
  • Musical styles, genres, and their cultural background
  • Significant figures in music

• Procedural Knowledge (knowing how):

  • How to hold and play instruments
  • How to produce sounds and read notation
  • How to play in time and perform confidently

• Tacit Knowledge (knowing intuitively):

  • Feeling rhythm and melody
  • Moving to music naturally
  • Understanding that music can express emotions

Long Term Plan

Inter-Related Dimensions of Music

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Aspirations for the Future

Through our Music curriculum, pupils develop an understanding of how musical skills and creativity can lead to exciting careers. Here are some of the jobs pupils could aspire to in the future as a musician or music professional:

• Composer
• Music Producer
• Sound Engineer
• Performer (Singer or Instrumentalist)
• Music Teacher
• Conductor
• Music Therapist
• Event or Tour Manager