Music

^{At Cullercoats Primary School, our intent is to deliver an outstanding music curriculum that inspires and nurtures a love for music in our pupils.}

Subject Lead - Mrs Katherine Raine

INTENT

At Cullercoats Primary School, our intent is to deliver an outstanding music curriculum that inspires and nurtures a love for music in our pupils. We aim to provide them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding to engage with music in a meaningful way. 

Our overall intent statement for music education at our primary school is guided by the requirements of the National Curriculum and is as follows: 

• To develop a passion for music 

• To empower pupils to express themselves creatively and emotionally through music. 

• To develop their skills, knowledge and understanding, enabling them to listen to, compose and perform music confidently 

• To develop an appreciation for a wide range of musical styles and genres from different cultures and historical periods. 

• To be given opportunities to sing and play untuned and tuned instruments 

• To be given opportunities to hear live music and appreciate the skills of musicians 

• To be given opportunities to engage with the local community and showcase their musical talents through performances 

Music curriculum: 

At Cullercoats Primary School we use the Charanga music scheme throughout KS1 and KS2, which ensures a structured and holistic music curriculum and follows the National Curriculum for Music. Charanga enables children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Children learn about the same musical concept through different musical activities, which enables a more secure mastery of musical skills. The scheme ensures that children develop new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established musical skills and concepts. Because it uses a spiral curriculum, it follows our whole school ethos of Rosenshine’s Principles, reviewing and gradually introducing new concepts, and scaffolding more difficult tasks.  

Within Charanga, children are given opportunities to listen to and appraise music from different styles, genres, cultures, and historical periods. Pupils have opportunities to engage with both Western and non-Western music traditions. 

In the early years, music lessons are also planned to give our youngest children opportunities to: 

• listen to different genres of music 

• sing songs together and make new verses to songs that they know 

• play instruments with increasing control to express their feelings and ideas. 

• perform to members of their families and other members of the Cullercoats Primary School 

Specialist Music Teachers and Experts: 

In year 4, children have music lessons with a specialist music teacher, who enables children to learn how to play the glockenspiel and the ukulele.  

As part of an application for Artsmark, we have looked at the children’s opportunities for hearing live music from different cultures and genres. Recently, children have listened to a folk band playing local tunes and songs, and enjoyed the lively rhythms and tunes of an Afro Celt group, broadening their appreciation of different musical traditions, as well as having the opportunity to enjoy an assembly with a harpist. A poignant moment comes each year when a member of staff performs the Last Post, introducing the children to its historical and emotional significance. To inspire the youngest learners, a professional violinist has played for the reception classes, offering them a close-up encounter with the beauty and skill of classical music. 

Singing: 

Singing occupies a central place in our curriculum. Children in KS1 and KS2 take part in a weekly singing assembly, and are all given opportunities to take part in performances for parents; for example, early years children perform songs for parents at stay and play sessions, KS1 children take part in a nativity performance, and our KS2 children have a carol service.  

We are fortunate to be based in an area with a wealth of musical heritage, including heritage songs about Cullercoats. Our children especially enjoy learning and singing the songs of their home village, such as the song ‘Cullercoats Bay.’ 

Children in KS2 have opportunities to join and perform with the school choir. The choir performs within school, for example, at the end of year concert, in assemblies and at the school fair. Children also have wonderful opportunities to perform locally, for example at the North Shields Victorian Market, in the band hall at Beamish Museum, and as part of a performance at the Whitley Bay Playhouse. We are also really involved in the Cullercoats Heritage Day, and love to perform local songs to local residents and visitors. Many of our performance opportunities come through links with North Tyneside Music.  

In addition to this, children in KS2 are able to participate in an after school club during the spring term, to rehearse for a show which they perform over three evenings on the school stage. This is an inclusive experience, which enables all children to participate in singing, acting and dancing. We are really proud to be able to give children such a memorable experience, and love to see children’s enjoyment at taking part in a quality production.  

Musical Instruments: 

As well as children having opportunities to play tuned and untuned instruments within music lessons, in KS2, children are also able to take part in individual or small group lessons to learn an instrument. Many of our children choose to learn an instrument at school, and they have opportunities to share what they have been learning at our summer music concert, and also in our Christmas carol service. 

Arts Week 

As part of our application for Artsmark, we have introduced a whole school annual arts week, where children are able to delve more deeply into the arts; one arts week focused on our local heritage, and all children were able to learn some of our local folk songs. The second arts week used the BBC Ten Pieces as a basis for an exploration of music and art.  

IMPACT

Our music curriculum ensures that children make progress with their musical skills and are able to meet the expectations outlined at the end of each key stage in the national curriculum. Pupils actively participate and engage in music lessons, showcasing enthusiasm, enjoyment, and a love for music. We expect to see pupils grow in confidence and develop the ability to express themselves through music. 

We expect to see clear progression in pupils’ musical skills, abilities, and knowledge over 

time, as demonstrated in performances, compositions, and written work. We use the Seesaw app to record evidence during, and at the end of, each unit, which can then be monitored by staff.  

One of the ways that the impact of our music curriculum can be seen is in the high level of engagement in extra-curricular music activities, such as our school show, choir and peripatetic music lessons. Many of our KS2 pupils are involved in at least one of these activities, and the children show great pride in their achievements.  

We were delighted to be awarded with an Artsmark SIlver Award in summer 2025, and are continuing our Artsmark journey, using it as an opportunity to continue to raise the profile of arts in the school.  

Some of our children also participate in activities organised by North Tyneside Music. Part of the North East Music Hub, which offers an inclusive range of high-quality, accessible music opportunities and experiences for all children and young people in North Tyneside.  

If your child is interested in accessing Music Hub activities, please go their website to find out more: 

https://northtynesidemusic.org.uk/ 

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