Hear Today, Strum Tomorrow
This term, our focus has been on musical expression and creativity, building confidence in performance, composition, and listening. Pupils have developed rhythm, melody, and structure through engaging activities, progressing from foundational skills in EYFS to instrumental work in Upper KS2.The photos below show the wide ranging musical experiences children have the opportunity to explore within the classroom.
Peter Pan - EYFS
The children were working with our dedicated music, dance and drama coach on scenes from 'Peter Pan'. They learnt the song 'Lost Boy' and practised performing it. They also discussed which percussive instruments they could use to accompany their performances. We practised our performance skills on a stage in the garden!
GarageBand & Music Intro - Year 1
In Year 1, pupils used GarageBand to explore sounds and create sequences of long and short notes, introducing them to composition. Singing reinforced tricky words, geography, and numbers, helping them express ideas through music. They can construct simple patterns, listen carefully, and experiment with sequencing, showing progress in musical structure.
New Violinists - Year 4
Year 4 pupils were introduced to the violin, learning posture, bowing and string names. They explored pitch, rhythm, and notation through clapping and call-and-response exercises. Discussions on dynamics and tempo helped them understand musical expression. They can now play simple melodies with fluency and compose short pieces inspired by classroom topics.
Hammering Harmonies - Year 5
Year 5 built on previous learning by continuing violin practice while also playing glockenspiels and using Charanga to develop their understanding of melody and harmony. Pupils refined their bowing technique, improved their aural skills through call-and-response, and explored different violin music styles. Glockenspiel practice supported their ability to read musical notation and play in time. Improvisation encouraged creativity and pupils now perform with greater confidence, control and expression.
