At Woodsetts, our vision of “WE CARE” comes to life through music. We believe every child deserves the chance to create, appraise, perform and enjoy music, using it as a universal language to build confidence, resilience and joy. Whether pupils are clapping a steady pulse in Reception or exploring syncopated rhythms in Year 6, music helps them flourish as creative, curious learners.
- Creativity & Self-Expression – Children explore sounds, improvise melodies and compose their own pieces.
- Musical Mastery – A spiral curriculum develops secure understanding of the inter-related dimensions of music (pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure and notation).
- Cultural Appreciation – Pupils listen to and perform music from a diverse range of eras, genres and world traditions.
- Lifelong Engagement – Children leave Woodsetts confident to continue their musical journey as performers, creators or enthusiastic listeners.
At Woodsetts Primary School, we deliver a high-quality, inclusive music curriculum through a carefully structured and engaging approach. All children from Nursery to Year 6 take part in weekly music lessons using the Charanga Musical School Scheme. This ensures consistency, progression, and enjoyment across all year groups. Each lesson includes three key components: listening and appraising, musical activities (such as singing, playing tuned and untuned instruments, improvising, and composing), and performing and sharing. These experiences help children embed core musical concepts such as pulse, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo, structure, texture, timbre, and musical notation.
In addition to classroom lessons, we hold weekly singing assemblies, where the whole school community comes together to learn and perform a wide repertoire of songs. These assemblies build confidence, vocal skills, and a love of shared musical experiences. They also link to our personal development work through messages about friendship, belonging, growth mindset and celebration.
To further enhance our offer, children at Woodsetts have opportunities to explore music through our Woodsetts Wonders programme, special enrichment projects, and themed days or weeks where creativity is at the heart of learning. We also invite visiting musicians and professionals to school, providing real-life inspiration and exposing children to the diverse world of live music and musical careers.
Performance is a key part of our curriculum. Children regularly share their musical learning during class assemblies, school concerts, community events, and larger celebrations such as our annual Christmas production and the Young Voices concert at Sheffield Arena. These events help children grow in confidence and experience the joy of performing for an audience.
To support teaching, we use clear skills and vocabulary progression documents which ensure that learning builds coherently from EYFS to Year 6. Teachers are also guided by Charanga’s interactive planning resources, which provide age-appropriate songs, games, and digital tools to make learning accessible and exciting.
Finally, music is woven throughout school life – from the start of daily assemblies with a shared listening focus, to impromptu performances, musical games in EYFS, and cross-curricular links with subjects such as English, History and Geography. Music is not confined to the music lesson – it is part of our school’s identity and ethos.
Our music curriculum follows the Charanga Musical School Scheme, which builds knowledge and skills over time. Each unit focuses on listening and appraising, musical activities (including singing, playing instruments, improvisation, and composition), and performing. Here's what an overview of units looks like for one class (Y1):
- Autumn 1 – Hey You! (Old-school hip-hop)
- Autumn 2 – Rhythm In The Way We Walk & Banana Rap (Reggae and hip-hop)
- Spring 1 – In The Groove (Blues, Latin, Folk, Funk, Baroque)
- Spring 2 – Round and Round (Latin Bossa Nova)
- Summer 1 – Your Imagination (Pop songs for creative interpretation)
- Summer 2 – Reflect, Rewind, Replay (Consolidation and musical history)
Our Music Overview can be seen below in the key documents section.
We try to provide as many opportunities as possible to help enhance our music offer for our children. Here are some of the ways:
- Peripatetic Lessons – Piano, drums, guitar and more with a qualified tutor (ask the office for details).
- Choir – Performs at community events and Young Voices.
- Performances to the whole school.
- Recorder & Music Clubs – A friendly introduction to reading music and ensemble playing.
- Visits and experiences linked to music e.g. concert in school
- Music played in school e.g. musician of the week in assembly or Class Briefing
- Charanga Musical School – explore at home: https://charanga.com/site/musical-school/
- BBC Ten Pieces – classical music clips and activities: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces
- National Youth Choirs of Great Britain: https://www.nycgb.org.uk
- Sing Up at Home - A collection of free songs, activities, and resources for families: https://www.singup.org/singupathome
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National Children's Orchestra – Provides listening activities and inspiration from young musicians: https://www.nco.org.uk/listen-and-learn
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Little Kids RockA not-for-profit offering free lessons, jam tracks, and instrument tutorials for children: https://www.littlekidsrock.org
- "Music makes me feel calm and happy. I love using the glockenspiel!"
– Year 3 pupil - "I was nervous to sing in front of people, but after our assembly I felt proud and excited!"
– Year 2 pupil - "Charanga is fun because we get to make our own rhythms and try new instruments."
– Year 4 pupil - "I liked learning about Bob Marley. His music made me want to dance!"
– Year 5 pupil - "Young Voices was the best experience ever – I felt like I was in a real concert."
– Year 6 pupil - "We play games with music and they help me learn how to keep the beat."
– Year 1 pupil - "Music makes me feel like I can do anything."
– Reception pupil
Charanga Scheme Overview
Knowledge and Skills Progression Documents (YR to Y6)
- Example Assembly Musician of the Week – updated weekly with the composer-of-the-week and listening focus.
For questions about music lessons, choir or instrument hire, please contact the school office or speak to Mrs Cape (Music Lead).
