EYFS Music Learning Journey
Revisit musical elements through the End-of-Year Recap with songs, games, and movement.
Explore pitch through the theme of Space using singing, movement, and soundscapes.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Through Jack and the Beanstalk, students explore pitch and character voice by climbing the beanstalk.
Explore rhythm with songs, body percussion and playful movement activities.
Explore pulse by feeling, clapping and moving to the heartbeat of the music.
Through the Gingerbread Man story, students explore dynamics and tempo in music.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk inspires pitch exploration and character voices through movement.
Using tone poems, students respond to changes in dynamics, tempo, and pitch. Celebrate Christmas by developing vocal skills through festive songs
Discover pitch through Chinese New Year traditions and cultural musical activities.
The Hungry Caterpillar
In The Hungry Caterpillar, students used fruit flashcards as notation to create and perform rhythms.
Introduce musical dynamics by engaging students in a simple “Start and Stop!” performance activity.
During Christmas (Nursery Rhymes), students using festive rhymes to develop vocal skills.
The Hungry Caterpillar explores rhythm and notation with untuned percussion to represent fruit beats.
Celebrate vocal progress with a joyful Christmas song unit, ending in a simple performance that showcases students growing confidence.
and the 3 Bears
Using Goldilocks and the Three Bears, students compose rhythms with stamp notation.
Explore dynamics and tempo through nursery rhymes, enriched with actions and expressive movement.
Little Pigs
The Three Little Pigs story builds rhythm skills through playful use of untuned percussion instruments
Explore dynamics and tempo through nursery rhymes, enriched with actions and expressive movement.
Your journey continues in KS2
KS1 Music Learning Journey
Revisit recorder playing to strengthen theory and ensemble performance techniques. Term
Explore dynamics in sea shanties through singing, percussion, and notation.
Learn recorder to develop theory, notation reading, and ensemble performance skills.
Children will build vocal skills through a Christmas theme, assessed by performance
Explore texture and structure in Chinese New Year using GarageBand.
Students will develop musical theatre skills while preparing for the Year 2 production, Dragons.
and Villains
Responding to a Heroes and Villains stimulus through composition and artwork.
Develop performance skills by preparing for and performing in an assembly.
Explore songs from around the world and compose soundscapes based on different countries.
Thrive
Explore dynamics in Marvellous Me through body percussion and simple composition.
Celebrate Christmas by developing vocal skills through festive songs and performance.
Explore pitch in Chinese New Year using the pentatonic scale and zodiac animal compositions.
Thrive session:
Warming up & moving: Starting with fun movements and vocal warm-ups to get ready for music. Playing rhythm games: Learning beat and rhythm through musical games and body percussion. Singing together: Learning songs, developing voices, and performing with friends. Exploring music skills: Discovering sounds, rhythms, and dynamics in exciting activities. Trying instruments: Playing different instruments and learning how they make music.
KS2 Music Learning Journey
Demonstrate an understanding of musical elements and theory in preparation for Year 7.
A recap on the musical elements and how to use them to write a composition based on cartoon music. Instrumental lessons.
Understand how to compose rhythms using music by Holst as an inspiration. Learn to perform Space Oddity by David Bowie as a song accompanied by guitar.
Term 1a
The Blues
An investigation into the history of the blues. Learning how to play basic blues patterns on the piano and guitar.
Students explore blues, jazz, and pioneering styles, supporting soloists and creating ensemble grooves.
Students explore identity through European music, composing personal passport pieces.
Enhance our performances by singing in harmony, polyphony and develop an understanding of our character roles.
Develop our performance skills by rehearsing songs, acting and dance routines for the school production.
Develop and showcase our musical performance and singing skills by rehearsing for and taking part in a Christmas performance.
Continue to develop the production by using harmonies, polyphony and actions to enhance our performance.
Term 1b
Blue Christmas
Putting into practice our prior learning by rehearsing and performing blues songs for the Christmas Concert.
Be inspired to compose and perform a piece based on Chinese New Year.
The unit builds on prior learning and fosters musical independence in KS2.
Take part in the rehearsal process for the school production. Learn songs and sing as part of an ensemble.
Term 2a
Chinese New Year
We are inspired to learn a Chinese song to be performed for Chinese New Year and learn the guitar chords to accompany ourselves.
Students compose character themes, using phrasing, articulation, and dramatic transitions.
Students compose soundscapes, exploring nature, impact, ensemble, and musical advocacy.
Students compose heroic motifs, using structure to express mythological narratives.
Students create anime-inspired soundtracks, exploring melody, rhythm and texture.
Students continue to develop timing and structure skills for Year 4 storytelling.
Students compose layered ensemble music reflecting ancient Egyptian ceremonial rituals.
Students explore dinosaurs through sound, developing melody, motif, and expression.
Students explore sound, emotion, and storytelling through Stone Ageinspired music.
Students create rhythmic tributes, developing pulse, layering, and ensemble performance skills.
KS3 Music Learning Journey
An ensemble-based unit working towards a class concert.
Exploring music of the 20th Century and how the ‘rules’ were broken by composers such as John Cage, Schoenberg , and Webern.
Investigating common chord progressions and composing a chord progression adding lyrics.
Exploring how Music Technology has developed from synthesizers to create their own composition.
Exploring music of the 20th Century and learning compositional devices from Minimalism, Serialism and Expressionism.
Exploring Latin American rhythms from the dance tradition.
Exploring songs in musicals, from classic shows to contemporary theatre, and how songs create atmosphere, tension, and excitement.
Exploring music from 8-bit technology to contemporary video games, learning compositional techniques for creating a character theme.
Learning how music is used to accompany visual action and relates to the theme and characters
Developing rhythmic understanding using polyrhythms, unison patterns, call and response and solo sections.
An introduction to learning and understanding how to create arrangements of cover songs in a band.
Learning about character themes and how music tells a story or paints a picture, often inspired by a poem, scene, or idea
Exploring different sounds and styles of music from ensembles including silk and bamboo, Arabic and Indian music
Developing creative skills through exploration of the blues scale to create original improvisations.
Exploring the instruments of the orchestra and understanding the sounds and techniques needed to play.
Exploring and developing keyboard skills through creative ideas using a theme and variation form.
An introduction to music technology using GarageBand. Learning how to sequence, use loops and import video.
Exploring rhythm and structure using World drums. Developing leadership roles in small groups.
Component 4 Term 3
Investigating music research task and either component 4 or 5. Submission of all coursework.
Extended composition preparation and either component 3 or 5.
Component 3
Component 5 Term 1
Extended performance preparation for a live recital and either component 4 or 5.
Preparation for the listening paper including the study of Baroque music and set works.
Preparation for the final Listening exam paper to complete the IGCSE course.
Understanding traditions like Silk & Bamboo, Hindustani classical, Arab Takht, plus performance contexts.
Practical performance preparation of to include a contrasting program which is recorded as coursework.
Composition coursework of two contrasting compositions. AS listening exam is taken.
Revision and recap of all areas of focus. Mock exam test are taken under exam conditions.
All performance and composition coursework is submitted. Revision guides are created.
Analysing single-movement orchestral pieces, national identity and program ideas
Prepare for a recorded ensemble performance. Composition coursework is continued.
Examining symphonies, chamber works, and balance of form. Composition coursework completed.
Studying Tango, Salsa, EDM, and rhythmic-dance style features. Composition work continues.
Focusing on the solo concerto and concerto grosso. Composition coursework and performance practice.
Review grade descriptors and set targets. Begin Area of Study 4: Music and Words.
Focusing on Art songs, choral music, and popular song settings. Intro to composing.
Exploring ballet, film score, video game music. Recorded solo performance.