It is our intent at Blaydon West to engage and motivate every child in a musical experience to be remembered. We aim to enhance their creativity inspiring children to develop a love of music and develop their talent as musicians.

Music is taught in termly units

• Teachers use the Charanga scheme which provides lessons that are progressive and build on the previous lesson/ unit/ year group.
• Children are taught to play untuned and tuned instruments starting with percussion instruments and leading onto recorder and guitar.
• Children have the opportunity to work with specialist music teachers both singing and learning musical instruments.
• Children are taught to listen effectively and appraise music using correct musical terminology built upon from EYFS.
• Children are taught to contribute and perform compositions from KS1 onwards.
• Performance and singing is encouraged at Blaydon West Primary through weekly assemblies, school choir activities and Christmas performances.

In our Early Years Foundation Stage:

• Children are encouraged to join in with simple songs and phrases
• Children are encouraged to join in with ring games and move to music through dance expressing themselves freely.
• Percussion instruments and objects are provided to encourage a range of shaking, tapping, banging and blowing.
• Listen to a range of music and sounds making choices and preferences about what they like/ dislike.
• Children are encouraged to perform confidently through class assemblies, Christmas performances and on other occasions for parents and visitors.

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, children study the National Curriculum for Music and we aim to:

• Listen and appraise different genres of music including different historic periods, cultures and traditions, introducing them to great composers and musicians.
• Learn to perform songs and music through their own compositions in and groups
• Learn to play a musical instrument.
• Understand and explore how music is created using technical terms such as pitch, dynamics, duration, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and musical notation.
• Use our school history to engage children to celebrate and learn somlocal traditional songs centred around The Blaydon Races.
• Link music to other subjects in the curriculum by learning cross curricular songs.
• Perform songs and music in the local community.