Music

      St Edmund Campion's Music Development Plan 24-25    

Overview

This is a summary of how our school delivers music education to all our pupils across three areas – curriculum music, co-curricular provision and musical experiences – and what changes we are planning in future years. This information is to help pupils and parents or carers understand what our school offers and who we work with to support our pupils’ music education.

Part A: Curriculum Music

At St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School, we use the KAPOW scheme for Music, aligned with the Model Music Curriculum (March 2021).

Each class receives 40 minutes (minimum) of curriculum-based Music instruction weekly, supplemented by 20 minutes dedicated to listening and appraising music.

Curriculum music lessons are delivered by class teachers, who are fortunate to have the support of several Music Specialists on staff, enhancing the musical education experience for our students.

Music plays a vital role in the development of our youngest pupils. Through regular musicianship and singing sessions, our EYFS pupils have the opportunity to explore a wide range of skills that are essential for their overall growth and learning. These sessions not only foster a love of music, but also support the development of key cognitive, social, and physical abilities.

In the EYFS, music activities help pupils develop their listening and attention skills, as children learn to focus on and respond to different musical elements. Additionally, singing and moving to music encourage the development of gross and fine motor skills, as pupils coordinate their bodies and movements. The social aspect of music-making also allows our pupils to engage in collaborative experiences, strengthening their communication and interpersonal skills.

Music is intrinsically linked to the EYFS framework, supporting the three prime areas of learning: communication and language, physical development, and personal, social, and emotional development.

Singing Assemblies:

In both KS1 and KS2, students participate in weekly 30-minute singing assemblies, with Year 5 and Year 6 enjoying an additional 15-minute musical theatre assembly.

KS1 singing assembly:

At St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School, KS1 singing assemblies focus on unison singing, with an emphasis on controlling melody and dynamics. These assemblies help students sing at the correct pitch, develop their listening skills, and enjoy music within their Key Stage. Students also have the opportunity to be exposed to live instruments played by their teachers, enriching their musical experience

KS2 singing assembly:

In KS2 singing assemblies, students advance to vocal warm-ups in two or four parts, and practice singing in rounds. Lessons include techniques for using correct breath control, creating a blended sound, and maintaining vocal health.

Both KS1 and KS2 assemblies use a combination of sacred and secular songs and incorporate vocal warm-up techniques along with guidance on proper voice use.

Instrumental Tuition:

At St Edmund Campion, all pupils learn and explore musical instruments as part of our commitment to a broad and enriching music curriculum:

• EYFS pupils are encouraged to explore a variety of tuned and untuned percussion instruments, fostering early musical awareness through play. They also begin experimenting with rhythm using the class set of djembe drums.
• In Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2), pupils use glockenspiels and a range of percussion instruments to develop their understanding of pitch, rhythm, and basic musicianship skills.
• In Year 3, students continue to build on their instrumental experience by playing tuned percussion. They are also introduced to musical notation, laying the groundwork for future musical learning.
• In Year 4, pupils receive whole-class instrumental tuition on the tenor horn for two terms. These lessons are delivered by a specialist music teacher from Berkshire Maestros, giving pupils access to expert instruction and ensemble experience.
• In Year 5, students continue developing their ability to read and write musical notation through learning the recorder and glockenspiel, supporting their theoretical understanding alongside practical performance.
• Additionally, Year 5 pupils take part in a six-week unit on African drumming, using djembes provided by Berkshire Music Trust, in conjunction with the South and West Africa unit from the KAPOW music scheme. This unit broadens their cultural understanding and rhythmic ability.

Year 3 & 4 Neil Canon singing programme:

We are working in partnership with Neil Cannon, Choral Director for the Diocese of Portsmouth, to deliver a high-quality singing programme within our school.

Neil leads weekly whole-class singing sessions with Year 3 and 4. These singing sessions are given in addition to pupils’ core curriculum Music lessons, providing all pupils with access to quality music education from a widely respected and incredibly talented choral conductor.

Under Neil’s expert guidance the programme develops pupils’:

• Vocal technique and healthy singing habits
• Musical literacy, including pitch, rhythm, and dynamics
• Confidence and performance skills, through singing in unison and in parts
• A wide and varied repertoire is used to promote enjoyment and cultural awareness, encouraging participation from all children regardless of musical background or ability.
• Sessions support the development of key musical skills such as listening, expression, and ensemble singing.
• The programme aligns with our aim to provide enriching, high-quality music-making opportunities for all pupils, and supports the wider objectives of the National Plan for Music Education.

Year 5 & 6 Musical Theatre:

All Year 5 and Year 6 students will participate in a Musical Theatre production at the end of the Summer term. Throughout the year, they will prepare for this during a 15-minute Musical Theatre assembly, where they will learn to sing in harmony.

Listening and Appraising:

Throughout the school, each year group has its own dedicated listening list, ensuring that children are exposed to a wide variety of music from different musical periods.

 In addition to their year group listening lists, which are based on the Model Music Curriculum, all classes engage with a "piece of the week." This same piece is listened to and appraised across the entire school during a 20-minute weekly listening session, allowing students to develop their listening and appraisal skills as well as extend their knowledge of a wide range of music.

Part B: Extra-curricular music

At St. Edmund Campion, singing plays a central role in school life, as seen in the passion and excitement of our school Choirs. Our Y4-6 choir has 50 members and regularly performs at various events, including Maidenhead's Got Talent, the Summer Funday, Christmas Fayre, school masses, and a special performance for parents at the end of each term.

Our Y2 and 3 choir is also very popular with 30 children attending after school each week.

Both choirs are completely free to join and open to all children from Year 2-6 regardless of experience or musical ability. Our most vulnerable children are actively encouraged to join the choir.

We also offer individual music tuition to all pupils, with the option for private or small group lessons in piano, clarinet, or violin. Pupil premium funding has been used to pay for musical tuition to support our most vulnerable children’s access to music..

Part C: Musical experiences and events

At St. Edmund Campion, we are dedicated to ensuring that every child  has the opportunity to perform and be part of a musical ensemble. We believe that music is a powerful tool for expression, confidence-building, and creating a sense of belonging.

To give all children the chance to experience performing in a professional setting, all Year 5 pupils are invited to sing in the Annual Junior Music Festival Concert at the Reading Hexagon, in partnership with the Berkshire Music Trust choir. This is a unique opportunity to sing alongside a live orchestra in a prestigious venue.

In Year 6, all pupils are invited to take part in the Young Voices concert, performing with the largest children’s choir in the world. These enriching experiences create lasting memories and foster a love of music that continues beyond primary school.

We are proud of our commitment to inclusivity. At St. Edmund Campion, we work hard to remove any barriers that might prevent our most vulnerable pupils from taking part in enrichment activities, including musical events. We believe every child deserves the chance to shine on stage and feel the joy of being part of something truly special.

Throughout the school, students have numerous opportunities to perform and engage with music, including:

• EYFS Nursery Nativity in the church
• Reception Christmas Nativity
• Year 1 Christmas Nativity
• Year 2 Christmas Nativity
• Year 3 Class Assembly
• Year 4 Tenor Horn Concert
• Year 5 trip to the Reading Hexagon for the Junior Music Festival
• Year 6 trip to Wembley Arena to sing with the Young Voices choir
• Year 5 & 6 end-of-year musical production – The Lion King
• Choir performances at the Summer Fayre
• Choir participation in Maidenhead’s Got Talent
• Choir performances at the Christmas Fayre
• Choir singing Christmas carols to parents
• End-of-term choir performances at Christmas, Easter, and Summer
• Musical performances during class assemblies
• Providing Instrumental support during school Masses
• Opportunities for individual performances at the school's Summer Talent Show

These events provide a rich musical experience for students across all year groups.

In the future

1. aspire for Music to be at the heart of St. Edmund Campion, fostering a deep love for the subject in our students. The range of extra-curricular events and activities we offer is designed to boost children's confidence and provide them with enriching musical experiences.

Over the next year we aim to:

• Establish an instrumental ensemble to provide opportunities for pupils who play musical instruments to rehearse and perform together, fostering teamwork, musical growth, and ensemble skills.
• Develop partnerships with local secondary schools to give pupils access to older student musicians as role models, enhancing their musical learning through shared knowledge, mentorship, and aspirational experiences.

Purpose of study

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.

The St Edmund Campion Music Curriculum

At St. Edmund Campion we aim to deliver a high-quality music education which is designed to inspire all children to make music with others, to learn to sing, and to have the opportunity to progress to musical excellence if they wish to. Music can help children develop co-ordination, communication and confidence whilst they are having lots of fun!  We provide children with the opportunity to learn and play a variety of instruments whilst developing an understanding of musical composition and how to organise and manipulate musical ideas. Music can enhance children’s sensory development, improve and support learning in other curriculum areas and allow children to explore a range of musical genres.

KS1

Children begin to use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes. They create soundscapes using vocal and body percussion. They learn to play and explore tuned and untuned instruments and practise listening with concentration and understanding to a range of music. They start to experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music. Also, they produce excellent quality musical performances.

KS2

Children are taught to sing with increasing confidence, fluency, expression, and accuracy of pitch. They learn to play an orchestral instrument with increasing confidence, control and accuracy. Children are encouraged to listen with attention to detail, to analyse and recall sounds with increasing knowledge and understanding of the inter-related dimensions of music. They have opportunities to improvise and compose music for a range of purposes on tuned and unturned percussion instruments, and vocal and body percussion. Children will have exposure to a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians which will enable them to develop an understanding of the history of music. Throughout the key stage there are numerous opportunities for performance involving music from a variety of cultures. 

In Y5 our children perform at the Reading Hexagon in a concert organised by Berkshire Maestros

In Y6 our children perform at Wembley OVO Arena for Young Voices

Mrs Faruki's choir provides additional opportunities to perform for children who are particularly interested in developing their love and enjoyment of singing and performing.