Performing, creating and understanding music
At North Mead, Music gives children the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to listen, sing, perform, improvise, compose and respond to music. We use Charanga as our main scheme to support progression.
Music at North Mead
- Listen and appraise — recognise features, instruments, styles and traditions.
- Sing and perform — use voice and instruments individually and as an ensemble.
- Compose and improvise — create, adapt and refine musical ideas.
- Understand — develop knowledge of pulse, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and notation.
What children learn
| Phase | What children learn |
| EYFS | Songs, rhymes, movement, percussion, call and response, pulse, rhythm, pitch and contrasting sounds. |
| KS1 | Keep a steady pulse, copy and create simple rhythms, sing with growing control, use tuned and untuned instruments and respond to musical features. |
| Lower KS2 | Develop ensemble awareness, more accurate pitch and rhythm, simple notation, improvisation and structured composition. |
| Upper KS2 | Perform with increasing control, use notation more confidently, compose and refine ideas, evaluate performances and discuss music using precise vocabulary. |
A broad musical culture
Children encounter music from different periods, cultures, traditions, genres, composers and performers. Music is explored as a form of expression, identity, community and culture.
Performance and enrichment
Children perform in class, to peers, in assemblies and at school events, and may experience live music, workshops, concerts, visiting musicians and Fantastic Fifty opportunities.
| External Resource/Organisation | Link |
| Charanga Scheme Overview | Charanga |
NMPA MUSIC-DEVELOPMENT-PLAN-v3
Related North Mead Pages
- Our Curriculum
- Music Development Plan
- Enrichment