Curriculum Intent

At Horsell C of E Junior School, we believe that we all have 'God-given' gifts.  We therefore aim to spark a lifelong love of music in the children regardless of their background or existing knowledge. 

Horsell Junior School uses the KAPOW music scheme to ensure that all children receive high-quality music lessons.  The curriculum is structured to help children to feel that they are musical, and to develop a life-long love of music.  We focus on developing the skills, knowledge and understanding that children need in order to become confident performers, composers and listeners.  To reflect the diversity of our school family, our music curriculum introduces children to music from all around the world and across generations.  This teaches our children to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities.

During their time at Horsell Junior School, children will develop the musical skills of singing, playing tuned and untuned instruments, improvising and composing music, and listening and responding to music.  Children will develop an understanding of the history and cultural context of the music that they listen to and learn how music can be written down.  Through music, our curriculum helps our children to develop the Horsell 'ABC' - they increase their articulacy when expressing their ideas about music, they become brave performers, prepared to take risks, and they collaborate with others to write their own compositions.  These skills are vital to children's development as learners and have a wider application to their general lives outside and beyond school.

We want our children to be inspired.  We know that children become inspired to become musicians when working alongside expert musicians.  At Horsell Junior School we have a close, collaborative relationship with 'Music Magic for All' which compliments our curriculum through bespoke composition workshops and performances. 

At Horsell Junior School we believe that music is intrinsic to a school's ethos and identity, and music is so much more than what happens within the classroom.  Alongside our core curriculum offer, therefore, our school promotes music through our orchestra, a dedicated music room for visiting instrumental tutors, a handbells group, and a flourishing choir. To further pupils' wider understanding and appreciation of music written in the classical tradition, we have a programme of wider listening, promoted through our 'Composition of the Month' which is shared in our singing assemblies and takes the children through the major musical periods from Baroque to the present day.

We further foster musical appreciation by encouraging the children to perform solo or group pieces in a variety of different contexts throughout the school year.  

Please click on the documents below to find out about the knowledge and skills taught in Music across the Key Stage, and our 'Composition of the Month' programme.