As Musicians of God’s world, we use the world around us to explore music – its mood; its communication; its history and tradition and its colour. We ask questions about the music we hear and create and explain our emotional response and how we can find answers.

"We may sing beforehand, even in our winter storm, in the expectation of a summer sun at the turn of the year; no created powers can mar our Lord Jesus’ music, nor spill our song of joy." - Samuel Rutherford

The aim of the Music National Curriculum is to ensure that all pupils perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, cultures, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians. They learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others. They have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and use technology with creativity and curiosity. They develop a foundation of understanding of how music is created, produced and communicated, through exploring the inter-related dimensions of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. Children are supported to experience music as a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Across their curriculum journey, children will be exposed to a range of high-quality musical experiences – live theatre, live musicals, live orchestras, live choirs alongside opportunities to perform in a range of settings. All children will have the opportunity to learn at least one musical instrument for a sustained period of time. All these experiences ensure that children develop the skills they need to progress to the next level of musical excellence.

Teachers use the Lancashire Charanga Unit Plans to inform their music teaching. A scheme of work for Salesbury has been designed using the Charanga progressions and schemes of work creating a two year cycle to allow for our structure of teaching and learning. These are followed to ensure children experience a wide range unique musical experiences and skills throughout their years at primary school and follow the model music curriculum. Additional activities and resources are deployed from a variety of sources, including visits to listen to live performances, singing and playing in concerts, visiting musicians’ workshops and other cross curricular experiences such as the Year 6 End of Year Performance, Resurrection Rock performance and participation in Church. Running alongside the unit plans children have opportunities to develop their musicality. In September 2024, all children in Year 2 will learn to play the ukelele and all children in Year 4 will learn to play the violin. All children in Key Stage 2 are invited to join the school choir. We also have vperipatetic teachers who deliver individual or small group tuition in a range of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments or singing.

Teachers formatively assess the children each time they take part in music activities, based on the lesson objectives. During each term, teachers will formally assess pupils, in terms of the children being in line with, above, or below expectations for their year group. Parents receive notification in the Autumn and Spring Reports to let them know how their child is doing and targets are given to support their next steps in learning. In the Summer Report, parents are informed if their child is working towards, meeting or exceeding expectations for their year group. These assessments are discussed at the termly Parents’ Evening meetings. Parents may also receive feedback on the different activities their child’s class are involved in, through the Class Facebook and Class Web Page. Governors are kept informed through verbal reports from the Music Link Governor, verbal and written reports from the Music Subject Leaders and in the Subject Marketplace or within Curriculum Committees.