“The sheer joy of music making can feed the soul of a school community, enriching each student while strengthening the shared bonds of support and trust which make a great school” (Model Music Curriculum)

At Byker, we are dedicated to providing a vibrant and enriching music curriculum that reflects our commitment to nurturing creativity, fostering confidence, embracing challenge, and building a strong sense of community. Our intent is to empower every student with the skills, knowledge, and passion for music that will not only enhance their academic experience but also contribute to their holistic development.

Our Music curriculum is designed to encompass our school values and the drivers that support our learning;

Subject content Key stage 1 

Pupils in Key Stage One will be taught to:

• use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes

• play tuned and untuned instruments musically

• listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music

• experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

• Children will learn about significant people from around the world that are linked to the musical genre/focus they are studying. These significant people include those from the North East of England such as Sting, The Animals, Dire Straits, Lindisfarne and Little Mix. 

Key Stage Two

Pupils in Key Stage Two will be taught to:

• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression

•  improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music

•  listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

•  use and understand staff and other musical notations

•  appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians

• develop an understanding of the history of music including significant individuals linked to the topic they are studying. Children will learn about the Supremes, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and their link to civil rights movements.

• Children will also learn about British Rock and its place in history focusing on bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Specials and Oasis.

As a school, we encourage all pupils to further develop their love of music by engaging with the amazing local offers available to all children through Music Partnership North. Please see the link below for further information:

https://musicpartnershipnorthnewcastle.co.uk/