Music

Our Music Subject Leader

Mrs Watson

Intent

At St Joseph’s, our Music curriculum inspires children to explore their God-given creativity through listening, composing, performing, and appraising. We want our children to achieve well in music lessons and have the confidence to take opportunities to express themselves musically, both individually and collaboratively. Through learning about a variety of musical styles, cultures, and historical periods, pupils develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary to create and appreciate music with confidence. Our curriculum fosters a love of music, encourages cultural understanding, and supports personal growth, helping children experience the joy and richness of making and listening to music.

Implementation

At St Joseph’s, we use the Kapow Music scheme to support the delivery of a broad, balanced, and progressive curriculum that enables all children to develop musical knowledge, skills, and confidence. Lessons are carefully sequenced to build on prior learning, ensuring that pupils develop progressive skills in listening, performing, composing and appraising music across a wide variety of styles, genres, and cultures.

We focus on developing skills through the following concepts: 

• Listening & Evaluating
• Creating Sound
• Notation
• Improvising and Composing 
• Performing

Teachers plan engaging, hands-on lessons using high-quality resources, instruments, and digital tools. Pupils are encouraged to  take risks, explore creativity and collaborate through group performances and compositions. Skills are revisited and extended each year, allowing children to gain confidence in reading and understanding musical notation, expressing ideas through sound, and applying musical vocabulary accurately.

Music Through Our Faith

Music is at the heart of our Catholic life, helping children to praise, worship and express our faith. Through singing, playing, and composing, pupils encounter the joy of God’s word, reflect on their spirituality, and celebrate their place within our school and parish community, experiencing the beauty of God’s creation through sound.

Music Through the Curriculum

Music is integrated across the curriculum to enrich learning and cultural understanding. Pupils explore music in RE and worship, deepening their experience of God's word and prayer, and in History, learning about musical traditions from different periods. During specific events, such as Black History, we engage with African musical traditions and learn about significant musicians 

In Geography, pupils study cultural music such as Brazilian carnival rhythms, while in Spanish lessons they explore Spanish music. 

In Science, pupils link music to sound and acoustics, exploring how instruments produce vibrations and how we perceive pitch and volume. They learn how music can be accessed by different people, especially for those with a protected characteristic of a disability.

These cross-curricular links help pupils appreciate the diversity of music and its place in people’s lives around the world.

Enrichment

Our curriculum also includes opportunities to celebrate and perform music, both within the classroom, in school events, BHCET events and beyond, fostering pride, enjoyment, and cultural capital.

Enrichment opportunities, including extra-curricular ensembles like Glee Club, choirs, and participation in local and Trust events, further develop pupils’ confidence, teamwork, and love of music.

Impact

As a result of our Music curriculum, pupils will:

• Develop musical knowledge, skills and vocabulary confidently listening, composing, performing, and appraising across a variety of styles and cultures.
• Express themselves creatively and collaboratively taking musical risks and building confidence through individual and group performances.
• Appreciate the cultural, historical and spiritual significance of music, linking it to RE, History, Geography, Languages, and Science.
• Leave St. Joseph’s with a lifelong love of music, enriched cultural understanding, and the confidence to pursue further musical opportunities and experiences.