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Music
Our Curriculum Intent for Music
At Cuddington Primary School, our music curriculum builds skills progressively, teaching technical vocabulary and providing challenge for every child. Pupils explore diverse genres, instruments and singing, gaining the confidence to perform in school and the wider community.
Children leave as confident musicians with a lifelong love of music and rich musical experiences.
How do we provide for all learners?
Music gives children and young people an opportunity to express themselves, to explore their creativity, to work hard at something, persevere and shine (DfE 2022) no matter their academic or musical ability. This is a core part of our musical education at Cuddington. Children of all abilities are given the same opportunity to access our music curriculum and some have excelled with many children with SEND going on to have private music lessons in school. With minimal reading or writing involved in the curriculum, children have very few barriers to accessing music education across the school.
Music Development Plan 2026–27
At Cuddington Primary School, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to enjoy, create and perform music.
Our Music Development Plan supports our curriculum intent and reflects the aims of the National Plan for Music Education. We want pupils to develop their musical knowledge and skills progressively, experience a wide range of music, perform with others and develop a lifelong enjoyment of music.
Curriculum Music
Music is taught throughout the school from Reception to Year 6.
In the Early Years, music forms part of children's learning through Expressive Arts and Design, including singing, rhythm, listening, movement and opportunities to explore sound.
Across Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils receive regular curriculum music teaching, normally around one hour each week or equivalent provision across the year.
Our progressive music curriculum develops children's ability to:
- sing confidently and expressively;
- listen and respond to a wide range of music;
- play tuned and untuned instruments;
- understand rhythm, pitch and musical notation;
- improvise and compose their own music; and
- rehearse, perform and evaluate music individually and with others.
Knowledge and skills are carefully sequenced so that children build on their musical learning as they move through school. Our Music Progression Document, available below, provides further information about this progression.
Music is inclusive and accessible to all pupils. Teaching and resources are adapted where necessary so that pupils with SEND and other additional needs can participate fully and achieve success.
Instrumental and Co-curricular Music
We want children who develop an interest in music to have opportunities to continue their musical development beyond curriculum lessons.
Private instrumental tuition is available within school and families can contact us for further information about current opportunities.
We encourage pupils with a particular interest or talent in music to continue learning an instrument and signpost families to appropriate opportunities for further tuition and musical development.
We are committed to ensuring that financial need or additional need does not unnecessarily prevent children from participating in musical opportunities.
Singing, Performance and Musical Experiences
Singing and performing are important parts of life at Cuddington.
Children have regular opportunities to sing together and to experience the enjoyment of making music with others. Throughout their time at school, pupils have opportunities to perform to different audiences through assemblies, celebrations, class performances and whole-school events.
We aim to expose children to music from a broad range of periods, traditions, cultures and styles so that they develop both their musical understanding and their appreciation of music.
Where opportunities arise, we also seek to broaden children's experiences through visiting musicians, performances, workshops and links with other schools and local music organisations.
Our Priorities for 2026–27
During 2026–27 we will:
- strengthen our curriculum provision, ensuring clear progression in singing, performing, listening, composing and musicianship from Reception to Year 6;
- develop pupils' opportunities to perform together, including singing and instrumental performance;
- explore links with the Music Hub and other music partners to increase opportunities for instrumental tuition, enrichment and progression;
- continue to develop an inclusive music offer, identifying and reducing any barriers to participation for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils;
- develop staff confidence and subject knowledge through appropriate resources, support and professional development; and
- continue to broaden the range of music pupils encounter, representing different genres, traditions, cultures and composers.
How We Will Know We Are Making a Difference
We will review music provision through curriculum monitoring, pupil voice, teacher feedback and participation in musical opportunities.
We want pupils to leave Cuddington able to talk confidently about their musical learning, perform and create music with increasing confidence and, most importantly, see music as something they can continue to enjoy throughout their lives.
Music Development Plan reviewed: August 2026
Next review: July 2027