Music

During key stage 1, pupils listen carefully and respond physically to a wide variety of music. They sing a range of songs from memory and play musical instruments, creating short compositions and adding accompaniments. They learn songs from the past or from different parts of the world to help them learn about other times and other cultures. Learning to listen carefully will also help them in all their other different lessons throughout their school career.

Children are taught to:

• sing and play musical instruments
• explore sounds
• create their own short compositions
• listen carefully, finding out and describing how sounds can change (louder, quieter, higher, lower)
• experience a wide range of music from different times and cultures

At the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7), most children are able to:

• keep to a steady rhythm when playing and singing music
• sing songs from memory, knowing when the tune goes up and down
• make their own simple musical patterns, choosing different sounds
• describe sounds using words such as 'high' and 'low', and by using musical symbols
• improve their own work