Intent

At All Saints, our intent is to nurture a love of music in every child, fostering creativity, self-expression, and emotional development. We aim to provide an inclusive and inspiring music education that engages all students, regardless of their background or abilities. Through a broad and balanced music curriculum, we seek to: 

• Develop students’ musical skills, including singing, listening, performing, and composing. 
• Encourage appreciation for a wide range of musical genres, traditions, and cultures. 
• Build confidence through performance opportunities and collaborative musical activities. 
• Support personal, social, spiritual, and cultural development by promoting teamwork, discipline, and creativity. 
• Help children to understand themselves and others, promoting important relationship between home, our community, and the wider world.
• Ensure progression in musical knowledge and skills from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2. 

Our Music Curriculum

The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. 

Implementation

Our music curriculum is thoughtfully crafted to be inclusive and accessible to all students, nurturing a lifelong appreciation and love for music. It is our hope that as children leave All Saints, they carry with them a lasting passion for music that continues to enrich their lives.

All staff are committed to ensuring that this policy is effectively implemented within our school.

In Harmony

As part of our music curriculum, we work very closely alongside the Liverpool Philharmonic In Harmony Project. In Harmony Liverpool uses orchestral music making to improve the life chances of children by increasing confidence, wellbeing, skills and resilience, enhanced by opportunities to travel, learn, perform and collaborate with professional musicians, international artists and other young people. In Harmony Liverpool’s vision is a healthier, higher achieving future for North Liverpool. In Harmony aims to inspire and transform the lives of children through community-based orchestral music-making please click here for more information about our In Harmony Music Project.

EYFS and KS1

In our early years’ music education, children engage in a wide range of musical experiences that foster their creativity, listening abilities, and understanding of music as a form of expression. They have opportunities to both perform and listen to music, being exposed to various genres including classical music, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and world music. The goal is to create a rich listening environment where children can participate in simple performances like clapping rhythms, singing, or playing basic percussion instruments. Children are encouraged to discuss what they hear in simple terms – if the music is fast or slow, loud or quiet, or how it makes them feel. Children are encouraged to use their voices regularly, singing to explore pitch, melody, and rhythm, which helps them develop vocal control and emotional expression. Additionally, they create music individually or in groups, using their voices or simple instruments. This could involve creating songs, experimenting with rhythms, or combining sounds creatively. They are introduced to instruments like tambourines, shakers, or bells; allowing them to learn basic instrumental techniques. They also begin to understand how music is written through the introduction of basic symbols for rhythm and pitch. In conclusion, early years music education provides a rich, engaging experience that nurtures children’s natural musical talents and sets the foundation for more advanced musical skills. It allows them to explore music in a playful, creative way while building essential knowledge of music’s structure and expression.

KS2

In the Key Stage 2 music curriculum, children will first become familiar with their chosen instrument, learning how to hold it correctly both in playing and rest positions. They will begin by identifying and playing open strings and practising the proper hand position for plucking each string. As they progress, children will pluck strings to familiar rhythms and play simple songs by plucking different notes. They will then be introduced to bowing, learning how to confidently bow across four strings. Over time, children will play songs using both plucking and bowing techniques, incorporating more complex rhythms and a greater variety of notes. They will also learn to play together in an orchestra, developing their ability to listen and collaborate with others. As part of their musical development, they will count bars and rhythms in 4/4 time and gradually progress to more challenging time signatures. Additionally, students will learn to use fingers 1, 2, 3, and 4, increasing their technical skill and range as they advance through the years. Children will learn to recognise and interpret musical notation on the stave, incorporating dynamics into their playing for greater expression. As they gain confidence in performing both collaboratively and independently within an orchestra, they will also grow emotionally and socially, developing key skills that prepare them for the excitement of their end-of-term performances. In Year 6, children utilise digital technology to enhance their creativity in music by composing, recording, and producing their own original pieces using various music software and applications.

Impact

At All Saints, the planning and implementation of the music curriculum ensures that every child, regardless of their specific needs, background, or abilities, has the opportunity to engage with a rich and creative musical experience. The curriculum is designed to be inclusive, allowing all students to explore their musical potential. Additionally, staff are given opportunities to participate in, and contribute to this vibrant musical environment, enhancing both their own professional development and the overall learning experience.

Links with the Community

The school fosters strong links with the community through a variety of collaborative events and performances. At the end of each term, parents are invited to sharing sessions to celebrate children’s progress. Children also participate in community walks, performing at local venues such as Home Bargains and Home Baked. The school collaborates with other schools for Philharmonic concerts and works alongside professional musicians from the Philharmonic to enhance the students’ musical experience. Performances are also held in the local church, and during the festive season, students perform at Alder Hey and Rowan Garth. Additionally, the school works with the charity ‘An Hour for Others’, further strengthening its community engagement.

Links with the Wider World

The school embraces its musical links with the wider world, promoting cultural exchange and global connections through various initiatives. Children have had the opportunity to engage with peers in Ukraine via Zoom, sharing musical experiences and favourite songs, deepening their understanding of music across cultures. The school also promotes international performances, with students visiting other countries to showcase their talents. A particularly strong partnership is with Seville, where students have visited to share music and perform in joint concerts. Additionally, staff have travelled to Sierra Leone to exchange musical experiences, enriching both teaching and learning through these valuable global connections. We aim to not only continue nurturing these established global connections with schools around the world but also to expand and create new opportunities for international collaboration.

Music, Mental Health and Spiritual Development

Our music curriculum has been thoughtfully shaped around mental health, drawing inspiration from ‘The Power of Music to Change Lives’, a government initiative published in June 2022, which emphasises the role music can play in individual and community development. By embedding music into every aspect of school life, we create an environment where students can express themselves, connect with others, and explore their emotions. We also incorporate Catholic values such as compassion, respect, and empathy, ensuring that our curriculum not only fosters musical talent but also nurtures the emotional and spiritual well-being of our students. This holistic approach supports a culture of inclusivity and understanding, helping to strengthen mental health and resilience within our school community.

Pupil Voice

Lorrie – ‘I love my Music lessons because I love to dance.’

Trinity –  ‘I love everything about my Music lessons, I always feel happy with a warm heart.’

Nevin – I love to move my body, I always feel excited and happy after my Music lessons.’

Genero – I love Music, I like the bells and I feel great.’

Charlie – ‘I like Music it is fun and I love learning to play my instrument.  I always feel proud when my Mum and Dad come to watch me playing.’

Olivia – I love Music at All Saints, I love learning new things and it makes me feel so happy.’

Alice – ‘I love the singing parts of our Music lessons, it makes me so happy.’

Lillie – I love singing and playing my instrument, it makes me feel nice inside so when I feel sad , Music makes me feel happy again.’

Jorgia – I love learning my instrument, it makes me feel really calm, it is hard for me to feel calm at home so it is a nice feeling, I am happy in my Music lessons.

Awng-Sai – I enjoy my lessons,  I feel like I can actually understand it and I am learning a lot.  It is hard for me to understand my teachers but in Music I feel like I can.

Heidi – When my Mum died I played Music more, it made me think about her and be calm and relaxed when I was in the strings club.

Jan – I love the Music in school, it is something I am very good at and I love to show off my skills.

Lennon – I love Music lessons, I love to sing and dance.  I feel happy.

Past Pupil Voice

Staff Voice

Reception:

‘Reception love our music sessions, it is a lesson that we see all children fully engaged and full of enthusiasm, regardless of their ability or specific need. All of the children are challenged during the lessons and I have noticed some of the children who tend to be quite shy are now starting to grow in confidence by doing solos or small group songs to the class. In addition to this, I think the music sessions have had a positive impact on the children’s listening and behaviour skills. We incorporate some of the songs into our daily routines and they really help with behaviour management and listening skills. ‘

Year 1:

‘What I’ve noticed so far teaching music is that children who are usually reluctant to share their ideas and thoughts on the carpet are more willing to participate in music. 

Children are more likely to take risks and less worried they will make a mistake. They enjoy experimenting with different sounds and movements. 

Most children are excited and enthusiastic when taking part in music lessons and they enjoy performing their own pieces of music. 

One area I’ve noticed that the children really enjoy is listening to the different types of music. They enjoy moving to the music, seeing what instruments they can identify and explaining why they liked the new piece or not.’

Year 3:

‘The music lessons are really positive for the children, they always look forward to their lessons, especially when they get to play their instruments. It gives the children who can sometimes struggle academically the chance to thrive in a new skill. In Year 3, the children are still getting used to their instruments however I see the majority of the class keen to join in and learn the motions and positions they will need to play their instruments in the future.  

Year 4: 

‘I think that in general children tend to enjoy Music as it can often feel quite low threat in terms of performance and attainment. From what I have observed in Y4, I notice that the majority of children will willingly join in – including those who are normally reserved in class. It is lovely to see how children with EAL often show more confidence in Music too. 

Year 5: 

‘A child in my class is a great example of a child with additional needs who thrives during her music lessons and this is also a great way for her to regulate. In Harmony challenges greater achieving learners by supporting them in modeling to the class/adding an extra challenge to the task for him e.g. using vibrato when he plays. On the whole, it was also great to see how proud the children were of themselves when they completed their performance at the Philharmonic. Many of the children were incredibly nervous about performing in front of such a large crowd and this achievement was fantastic for their personal development.’

Year 6:

‘The year 6 music curriculum is slightly different to the rest of KS2. Year 6 have creative sessions which they really enjoy! My class really look forward to music lessons where they have currently been creating their own pieces of music using technology. 

Our creative sessions include creating pieces of music using technology and children get chance to experience different styles of music from around the world including African drumming, Pagoda arts and Palestinian music. These are practical lessons where the children listen to and try playing these different styles of music using different instruments. I found this has a really positive impact on pupils as they willingly want to take part and have a go; it is inclusive and I have found that even those children who may struggle academically, have excelled in these types of music lessons as they are more practical, hands on lessons.’

Music Documents