Music
Our Music lead here at Park Road Academy is Mrs. Harrison, who is also our Year Three Teacher.
Mrs. Harrison is excited to be Park Road Academy's subject lead for Music, a role that allows her to combine her love for music with her passion for nurturing young talent. At Park Road Academy, our aim is to create a vibrant musical environment where pupils can explore their musical abilities, develop their creativity, and express themselves confidently through the power of music.
Our Curriculum Intent
At Park Road Academy Primary School, our core intention is to nurture a lifelong love of music by helping children develop a strong sense of musicality and confidence. Our aim is to provide a structured, engaging, and inclusive music education that equips pupils with the skills, knowledge, and understanding needed to be confident performers, composers, and listeners. We expose children to music from across the globe and from different historical periods, fostering an appreciation and respect for diverse musical traditions.
Our intent is not only to develop musical skills but to integrate these into wider life skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and performance. Music education at Park Road Academy provides the opportunity for children to engage deeply with both the practical and theoretical elements of music, while developing the transferable skills that benefit their development both within and beyond the school environment.
Implementation
Our music curriculum is structured to ensure children gain a comprehensive understanding of musical elements and become confident and capable musicians. Through a variety of engaging activities, we allow children to explore music from both practical and theoretical perspectives.
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Skill Development: Children learn to sing fluently and expressively, and to play both tuned and untuned instruments with accuracy and control. They explore core musical elements, such as pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, and structure, and use these expressively in their performances and compositions.
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Diverse Exposure to Music: The curriculum introduces children to a broad range of musical genres, styles, and cultural contexts. They learn about composers from different eras and regions, developing a respect for the rich diversity of global music traditions. Children engage critically with music, both through listening and responding to a wide variety of musical styles.
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Active Engagement: Music is integrated into school life through activities such as our School Song ('Living and Learning'), Singing Assemblies and Musical Performances. These activities not only support musical development but also reinforce other life skills, such as public speaking, teamwork, and presentation.
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Integrated Learning and Assessment: Both formative and summative assessments are embedded throughout the curriculum. Teachers regularly assess progress during lessons, using clear learning objectives, while performance assessments at the end of units provide an opportunity for summative assessment. Knowledge organisers for each unit support students by providing visual reminders of key concepts, practical skills, and musical vocabulary.
Impact
By the time children leave Park Road Academy, they will have a strong and well-rounded musical foundation. They will be able to sing confidently, expressively, and play both tuned and untuned instruments with control and accuracy. They will recognize and name key musical elements, such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and structure, and will be able to incorporate these into their own performances and compositions.
The impact of our music curriculum is evident not only in the development of musical skills but also in the broader life skills it fosters. Through engaging in collaborative music-making, children develop critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork. The knowledge and skills learned in music also support and enhance their learning in other subjects, helping them become well-rounded learners and individuals.
Our curriculum empowers children to be confident, creative, and thoughtful musicians who leave school with a lifelong appreciation for music and its role in the wider world. We aim to inspire a genuine love of the arts, encouraging children to create, participate in, and appreciate music.
Pupil Voice
Some of our children have shared their views on music lessons in school. See their comments below:
A snapshot of Music
Have a look at some of our children in action. We are Young Musicians!
Each term the children are able to experience music by a different a composer. Their music is played during daily activities and shared in assembly.