Music

We make music an enjoyable, rich and stimulating learning experience. We intend to nurture and develop children's confidence to express themselves through music and respond to a range of music. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to sing in tune and with other people as well as understand rhythm and follow a beat. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We teach them to listen and to appreciate different forms of music by giving children access to a wide and inspiring range of musical performers including classical music, orchestras and soloists as well as enabling them to learn instruments. This opens a window onto a world which children may not have had the opportunity to access before. Children also develop descriptive language skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent different feelings, emotions and narratives. We teach technical vocabulary such as volume, pitch, beat and rhythm and encourage children to discuss music using these terms. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children.

Our curriculum for Music aims to ensure that all pupils:

●Can sing and use their voices as an instrument

●Create and compose music on their own and with others

●Have opportunities to learn a musical instrument

●Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated

●Enjoy and have an appreciation for music

●Use musical language

●Take part in performances

●Listen, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions

●Have opportunities to study a range of musical styles and genres, e.g. Jazz, Hip Hop, Pop, Rock etc.

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Music is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum and at Harnham Junior School we recognise that music is a specialist subject and that not all teachers are musical specialists. As of September 2025 all year groups are taught music using the Kapow scheme of work which ensures consistency and progression throughout the school.

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Aims of Music

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The Kapow Primary Music scheme of work follows a structured, spiral curriculum and aims to ensure that all pupils have opportunities for:

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•Listening and evaluating – expressing musical preferences; exploring the impact of musical ideas; understanding how effects are created by combining musical elements.

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•Creating sound – exploring the children’s vocal skills; developing skills to manipulate sounds on a range of instruments.

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•Notation – recognising the basics of musical notation; reading simple rhythmic patterns; developing the foundational knowledge of how staff and graphic notations can communicate music.

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•Improvising and composing – creating and refining the children’s own music through improvisation and notation; experimenting with styles and features; employing musical concepts to add interest.

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•Performing – using voices expressively; developing instrumental control and expression; performing as part of a group.

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Pupils at Harnham Junior School participate in weekly high quality music lessons.  During these lessons the children learn to sing and play instruments. They also have an opportunity to develop an understanding of pulse, rhythm and notation. Kapow provides teachers throughout the school with week by week plans which enable them to ensure that their lessons are engaging and exciting. The scheme ensures that there is clear progression as well as providing assessment tools and interactive resources.

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Each unit of work has an on-going musical learning focus and a unit specific focus to enable previous musical skills to be embedded. Music lessons usually follow a specific learning sequence:

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•Recap and recall – a short activity that revisits prior learning and helps reinforce knowledge

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•Attention grabber - A short, engaging activity designed to hook pupils into the new learning in the lesson.

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•Main event- The core part of the lesson, where pupils engage in activities that develop their understanding of the learning objective.

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•Wrapping up - A final reflective activity that consolidates learning.

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Kapow includes many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre. Kapow provides a classroom-based, participatory and inclusive approach to music learning. Throughout the scheme, children are actively involved in using and developing their singing voices, using body percussion and whole body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.

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In addition to class music lessons there are opportunities for children to learn to play brass, string, and wind instruments or the drums. Tuition is provided by peripatetic teachers who visit the school weekly.

Our music curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. Through the Kapow scheme, assessment for learning is embedded, enabling teachers to identify progress and tailor support to ensure all pupils – including those with SEND or limited prior experience – achieve well. Regular opportunities for performance, reflection, and celebration of achievement enhance pupils’ sense of pride and community within school life.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods: 

● Ongoing assessment opportunities, such as questioning, retrieval practice and interactive activities which enable teachers to assess understanding in real time and adapt their teaching accordingly.

● End of unit Assessment quizzes, which allows teachers to measure pupils’ understanding at key points and helps gauge how well pupils have retained key knowledge and skills over time.

● Ultimately, the impact of our music curriculum is that pupils leave Harnham Junior School as confident, reflective, and expressive young musicians, ready to continue their musical journey at secondary school and beyond.