Aims

At Stivichall, our aim is to develop our children as confident, creative musicians through a rich and engaging music curriculum. As musicians, children are nurtured to explore and grow their musical talents while building technical skills and expressive confidence. Music is integral to school life and enriches every child’s educational journey. We strive to foster a lifelong appreciation for music, inspiring joy, curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world through musical experience.

Curriculum

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” PLATO

We follow the Charanga scheme of work – a comprehensive and progressive programme designed as a spiral curriculum. This approach enables pupils to build upon their knowledge and skills year after year, deepening their understanding and enjoyment of music.

Throughout their musical journey, pupils develop key areas of substantive knowledge, including pulse, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and musical notation. Additionally, children acquire disciplinary knowledge by developing essential musical skills by participating in a range of musical activities, creating and exploring musical ideas and performing. The children also develop their Oracy skills by listening and appraising a variety of both recorded and live musical pieces.

Across all year groups, pupils have the opportunity to learn, improvise and compose using percussion instruments and glockenspiels. In Year 3, every pupil learns to play the cornet during weekly lessons led by a specialist music teacher. This provision continues in Year 4 through an optional additional cornet group allowing pupils to further develop their instrumental skills.

In addition to music within the classroom, over 150 pupils receive individual or small group music tuition each week delivered by specialist instrumental teachers. Many of these pupils have the opportunity to showcase their talents during our annual Evening of Music – a celebratory event highlighting musical achievement across the school.

Musical performance is a cornerstone of school life. Each Key Stage takes part in large-scale productions attended by families and the wider community:

• Reception pupils present a Christmas performance;
• Key Stage 1 pupils present a Christmas performance;
• Year 3 pupils perform in a Musical Extravaganza, showcasing a range of skills including cornet and singing;
• Year 4 pupils sing at an external concert alongside other schools to the wider community at an established venue in Coventry;
• Years 5 and 6 collaborate on a full-scale musical in-school production.

Singing is woven throughout the curriculum and is a vibrant part of daily life at school. In Reception, music and singing are used frequently across all subjects. Each Key Stage also holds a weekly singing assembly providing an opportunity for pupils to participate in large-group choral singing, often linked to their current topics. Additionally, all pupils sing together during our weekly whole-school assembly.

Our Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 choirs are open to all pupils and meet weekly to rehearse and refine their vocal skills. Choir members perform regularly to audiences of varying sizes, both within the school and in the wider community. Our school band and orchestra also meet weekly to rehearse for our end of year concert. 

To further enhance pupils’ musical experiences and as part of our Learning Outside The Classroom (LOTC) curriculum, all children have opportunities to attend live performances. Reception and Year 1 pupils visit the Warwick Arts Centre, while Year 2 and Key Stage 2 pupils attend performances at the Belgrade Theatre. We also welcome visits from The Heart Music Hub team, who deliver live music experiences in school.

Rooted in Coventry’s rich musical heritage (including its role as the birthplace of two-tone music), music at Stivichall inspires our pupils to take pride in their local cultural legacy and use it as a foundation for their own musical journeys. Music at our school is designed to be inclusive, inspiring and enriching – nurturing a love of music in every child and providing a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and confidence.

Outcomes

Pupil progress in music is continually assessed by teachers using the music curriculum to ensure that each child is supported and challenged appropriately. Regular opportunities for retrieval practice are built into lessons to help reinforce knowledge, develop long-term understanding and build confidence. The learning journey culminates in a final performance, giving children the opportunity to showcase their musical skills, celebrate their achievements and experience the joy of performing to an audience.

Extending learning beyond school

Here are some ways that you can continue to extend your child’s learning beyond school:

• Attend musical/ theatrical performances
• Listen to a variety of music
• Discuss musical preferences with reasons
• Sing!
• Practise playing instruments