At Gedney Church End Primary Academy, we believe that Music gives children a powerful opportunity to listen, create, perform and express themselves. We want children to develop a love of music alongside the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in it. Through a broad range of musical experiences, children discover different styles, traditions and periods of music and develop an appreciation of the important role music plays in cultures and communities.

Musical learning begins in EYFS, where children develop confidence through singing, listening, movement, rhythm and musical play. They explore their voices and different sounds, respond to music through movement, experience simple rhythms and patterns, and begin to perform and express themselves musically. These early experiences establish important foundations for the increasingly sophisticated musical learning that follows. 

Our Music curriculum is carefully planned so that children's musical knowledge and skills build, connect and deepen over time. Children develop their understanding of important musical elements including pulse, rhythm, melody and musical patterns and progressively learn to listen, sing, play, improvise, compose and perform with increasing confidence and control. Opportunities to revisit previous learning help children to strengthen their understanding and make connections between different aspects of music.

As children progress through the academy, they encounter an increasingly broad range of musical styles, traditions and genres. In KS1, children experience music including Hip Hop, reggae, rap, Latin, pop and classical music while developing their understanding of rhythm, pulse, singing and performance. In LKS2, children extend their experience through R&B, soul, reggae, gospel, pop and classical music while developing instrumental skills through the glockenspiel and beginning to explore notation, melody, composition and performance in greater depth. 

By UKS2, children explore music including rock, jazz, pop, Hip Hop, Motown, gospel, Bhangra and Western classical music. They develop their performance skills while encountering increasingly sophisticated musical experiences, including improvisation and composition. Children also consider music within its wider context, exploring how musical styles have developed over time and how music can reflect culture, history, identity and society. 

Listening and responding to music are important throughout our curriculum. Children are encouraged to listen carefully and recognise features of the music they hear, developing the vocabulary to discuss and respond to different styles and performances. As their musical knowledge grows, they make increasingly meaningful connections between pieces, styles and their wider cultural and historical contexts. The curriculum includes, for example, exploration of Motown and civil rights, gospel music and its history, women within the music industry and a range of music from around the world. 

Children are also given opportunities to become music-makers themselves. Singing and performance develop throughout the academy, alongside opportunities to play instruments, explore rhythm and melody, improvise and create their own musical ideas. We want children to develop the confidence to participate while understanding that successful musical performance and creation require listening, practice, collaboration and refinement.

Where meaningful, Music connects with other areas of learning. These connections can provide additional cultural, historical and creative context while maintaining a clear focus on developing children's musical knowledge and skills. Through music, children can encounter themes including identity, friendship, equality, culture and social change, broadening both their musical experience and their understanding of the wider world. 

Our SPARK values are reflected naturally throughout Music. Children develop Self-belief through singing, playing and performing, Perseverance as they practise and improve, and Aspiration as they experience a diverse range of musicians, composers and musical possibilities. Respect and Kindness are developed through listening to others, performing collaboratively and appreciating music from different cultures, traditions and perspectives.

Ultimately, we want children to leave Gedney Church End as confident, curious and enthusiastic musicians and listeners. We want them to draw upon their developing musical knowledge to listen thoughtfully, perform with confidence and express their own musical ideas. Most importantly, we want children to leave us with an appreciation and enjoyment of music that can continue throughout their lives.