Intent
At Pondhu Primary School, we follow the Kapow music curriculum to cover the National Curriculum objectives and beyond. Our curriculum aims to engage students from Reception to Year 6 in a creative journey that fosters musical understanding and appreciation. Our intent is to inspire a love of music by encouraging students to explore different genres, cultural traditions, and musical concepts. We focus on developing their skills in composition, performance, and listening, ensuring that each child gains confidence in their musical abilities and feels a connection to the wider world of music.
Implementation
The music curriculum is delivered through hands-on, engaging activities that grow with the students each year. In the early years, children explore sound and movement, using their voices, bodies, and simple instruments. As they progress through the school, students tackle themed projects—from exploring celebration music to creating compositions inspired by historical events and cultural practices. Using both tuned and untuned instruments, they develop skills in rhythm, pitch, dynamics, and more, with practical activities that encourage creativity and collaborative learning.
- Reception: Children explore sound through their voices, bodies, and instruments, participate in celebration music, and learn about musical movement and stories.
- Year 1: Focus on foundational musical skills such as keeping a steady pulse, exploring tempo, and recognising dynamics through themes like "My Favourite Things" and "Fairytales."
- Year 2: Introduction to call-and-response techniques, musical storytelling, and dynamics, with themes ranging from animals to different environments like space and islands.
- Year 3: Emphasis on developing singing techniques, creating compositions, and exploring genres such as ballads, jazz, and traditional music from different cultures.
- Year 4: Students explore body and tuned percussion, rock and roll, and themed music based on nature (e.g., rivers and rainforests), as well as samba and rhythmic motifs.
- Year 5: Pupils learn about musical notation, Blues music, South and West African rhythms, and the connections between sound and colour, with an introduction to musical theatre and looping techniques.
- Year 6: Advanced musical skills are introduced, such as appraising classical pieces like Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave," understanding film music, and composing a personal "Leavers' Song." Students also explore Baroque music, WW2 songs, and variations in musical themes.
