Music
Our Music Curriculum at CPS
From September 2022, CPS has a brand new, bespoke Music Curriculum, which maximises our extensive instrumental resources in our Music Room and links very closely to the DfE's Model Music Curriculum 2021 and the 2022 National Plan for Music Education, 'The Power of Music to Change Lives'. As they progress through the school, every pupil will experience, analyse and recreate music styles from throughout history and around the world; record music in writing using a variety of methods including staff notation; receive multiple opportunities to perform throughout their CPS career individually and within ensemble groups; and both improvise and compose extensively using voice and a variety of instruments.
An overview of each year group’s learning is attached below, along with the week-by-week learning progression throughout the year.
Weekly Whole Class Music Tuition
At CPS, we believe foundation subjects such as music and drama play a significant role in nurturing pupils' academic success across the whole curriculum. Current research in primary education offers support to this theory, and it is a view endorsed by the DfE in their use of practitioners employing music-centered schemes of education in a consultative capacity.
All classes from Year 1 upwards have a 45-minute Music lesson weekly throughout the year with a specialist primary music teacher, following a spiral progression commencing with discovering the basic elements of music-making in Year 1 and 2, through to developing these in the context of playing an instrument and discovering musical genres at Key Stage 2.
Whole Class Instrumental Ensemble Work
Throughout Key Stage 2, we offer progressive Whole Class Ensemble Tuition delivered by our own music specialist: pupils learn the recorder at Year 3; a variety of further woodwind instruments at Year 4; the glockenspiel and keyboard family at Year 5 and the ukulele at Year 6.
Music & Drama Enrichment: Beyond the Curriculum
In addition to the above, every class receives an additional 75 minutes of Music & Drama enrichment weekly for the duration of one half-term during the year. At Key Stage 1, this involves specialising in an instrument (Handbells at Year 1; Djembe drumming at Year 2), whilst at Key Stage 2, this focusses on drama and musical theatre skills, linking to the English curriculum and School's Voice 21 oracy status, as well as building self-esteem, confidence, articulation and self-expression. Every enrichment block culminates in a concluding performance to parents, carers and friends.
Singing Assemblies
Every pupil also experiences a weekly singing assembly with material appropriate to their key stage. Amongst a wide variety of seasonal pieces, we sing a number of bespoke CPS school songs celebrating our SCARFF values and learning environments, with original melody and lyrics written with the ideas and support of our older pupils.
Music Champions
In Year 6, we have six Music Champions, whose varied role includes leading singing assemblies and clubs for younger children; accompanying songs on the piano; caring for the Music Room and its resources; performing administrative and organisational roles for clubs and activities; and taking a lead role in presenting and narrating music and drama performances throughout the year. You will be able to spot our Music Champions from their distinctive treble clef badges!
Extra-Curricular Clubs and Opportunities
In addition to all the above, we offer an extensive range of Music and Drama clubs including KS1 and KS2 choirs, musical theatre, choreography and pop singing, TV news production, keyboard club and school band; all of whom rehearse weekly and perform at least termly in a variety of exciting public venues. We also offer group and individual LAMDA exam preparation. In 2023/2024, we will perform at the O2 and Wembley Arenas in London; lead the festivities at the Claygate Christmas Lights switch-on and take part in our local choir festivals in Elmbridge and Surrey Arts.
Our pupils experience live, interactive orchestral performances at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and we also stage whole-school performances at Holy Trinity Church at Christmas and put on our own full Year 6 Summer production in which every pupil in the year group plays an acting and singing role.
Surrey Hills Radio
CPS pupils have a partnership with Surrey Hills Community Radio, an online community radio station serving Surrey, based in Leatherhead. To supplement their drama and oracy skills, a group of pupils visit the radio station regularly to write, present, record and edit their own 'Claygate Primary Top Ten' hour-long show. You can listen back to our previous programmes on the Surrey Hills Radio MixCloud, or by clicking on the links below.
Claygate Primary Top Ten Things every primary school should have
Claygate Primary Top Ten Places to visit in Surrey
Claygate Primary Top 10 Ideas for a Magical Christmas
https://www.mixcloud.com/surreyhillsradio/claygate-primary-top-10-02-dec-2023/
Individual Musical Instrument Lessons
1:1 Instrumental tuition is available to pupils through Surrey Arts and other well-qualified local tutors in a range of instruments including piano, drums and guitar. Please enquire at the school office or ask our Music Teacher for more information. For details of current music and drama clubs, please visit the Extra Curricular Activities page on our website. We hope to welcome you to one of our many music and drama performances soon, and if you have an existing pupil at CPS, please do encourage them to sign up to clubs and take part in the rich, musical life of our school.
Our provision of music and drama has been recognised by Surrey Arts with the award of Music Mark status for 2022.
"Specialist teachers and coaches are used successfully to teach music and physical education." - OFSTED 2020