At West Lodge, our Music Curriculum is well sequenced and incremental as it seeks to build our musicians’ technical, construction and knowledge of Music.   

Through using the Music Express Programme, our curriculum is organised into six units of work per year group within which our musicians develop their key skills in performing, composing, transcribing and describing music.

As we believe that Musical Theory and Practise should be taught together, alongside these six units, each year group follows a ‘Key Skills Builder Progression Map’ which specifically concentrates on the development of our musicians’ understanding of beat, rhythm and pitch.

Music notation is taught with a real emphasis on the pedagogy of ‘sound before sight’ (musical concepts are taught and embedded aurally before being associated with visual representations).   

How we teach Music at West Lodge. 

Our curriculum for Music is devised from the work of Chris Quigley with further guidance taken from the Music Express Programme.  Within the resultant progression map, the key musical components of performing, composing, transcribing and describing are presented individually to ensure they are included in planning and assessment. 

Some of our musical units focus on particular skills; however, we understand that musical learning occurs in a more holistic way.  As a result, all of the key skills are present to a greater or lesser extent throughout our music curriculum as a whole. 

All children have the chance to develop their musical skills through using a wide range of tuned and un-tuned instruments. 

Pupils have the opportunity to learn additional instruments with visiting peripatetic teachers from HMS. 

Useful Music Links

BBC Music KS1

BBC Music KS2

Subject Leader
Our subject leader for Music is Mr Went.