Our Music Curriculum

Intent 

At Brookhouse Primary School, our music curriculum is designed to give every child, from nursery to year 6, a progressive and joyful musical education. Built around the Sing Up scheme, each term focuses on one unit or theme, developing pupils' skills across five key strands: singing, rhythm, composition, listening and notation – from simple pulse-matching and vocal copying in the early years through to confident part-singing, independent rhythmic lines and formal notation by Year 6. We are committed to ensuring that music is not just taught but experienced: every unit is enriched with cultural and historical context, exposing children to musical traditions from across the UK and around the world, so that diversity is explicitly taught rather than left to chance. 

Implementation 

Each unit combines core Sing Up lessons with structured enrichment activities, written as clear, numbered steps so they can be delivered confidently by non-music specialists. Where a unit draws on a musical tradition, instrument or piece that may be unfamiliar to staff – such as gospel music, sea shanties, nasheeds salsa clave rhythms or Polish folk songs – the enrichment guidance includes direct links to background reading and audio/video examples, so teachers can prepare and build their own subject knowledge before the lesson. A dedicated ‘diversity and cultural context’ strand runs through every term, drawing on composers, artists and traditions from Black British, South Asian, Latin American, European and Islamic musical heritage, among others. Lessons for year groups receiving instrumental tuition, which are led by a specialist music teacher from Bolton Music Service, are adapted to 30-minute sessions to allow both strands to flourish alongside each other. All linked resources are checked for suitability and teachers are reminded to preview content before sharing it with children. 

In addition to delivering a diverse curriculum, we are always looking for opportunities which will further enhance or enrich our curriculum offer. In addition to specialist music tuition, each term we have Rock Steady Bands, where pupils work together to learn and perform a song using a wider range of instruments. Our pupils in year 3 and year 4 take part in the Finish This Project, organised through the English National Opera, where pupils have the opportunity to compose, create and perform music in order to complete an unfinished composition. Through Bolton Music Service, 12 pupils take part in Furthering Talent sessions. They not only recieve additional music tuition but also get the opportunity to create and perform music with other young musicians in the area. The school has a choir which rehearse weekly and are always looking for opportunities to perform with or compete against other local choirs.

Impact 

By the time children leave Brookhouse in Year 6, they will have developed as confident, expressive musicians who can sing, play, compose and perform with increasing independence and skill. Termly assessment checkpoints track progress against expected standards for each unit, allowing staff to identify and support pupils who need additional challenge or consolidation. Beyond technical skills, pupils leave with a genuine appreciation of the breadth and diversity of musical traditions, an understanding of how music reflects culture, history and identity, and the confidence to perform – culminating in their Year 6 leavers’ production, where they draw together everything they have learned.