Why We Love Music – Why Music Matters
At Highfield Hall, we believe that music is for everyone. Music enriches our school life by bringing joy, building confidence, and encouraging creativity. It gives children opportunities to express themselves, work together, and experience the excitement of performing. We see music as an important way for children to develop not only their musical skills, but also their resilience, teamwork and sense of community.
Our Music Curriculum
Our music curriculum is designed to be engaging, progressive, and inclusive. We follow Kapow, a high-quality online music scheme, which provides interactive lessons, visual aids, and structured progression across year groups.
Through Kapow, children explore both tuned and untuned instruments and develop their understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music:
- Pitch – how notes rise and fall
- Rhythm – patterns of long and short sounds
- Dynamics – volume and expression in music
- Tempo – speed of the music
- Timbre – the character or quality of a sound
- Texture – layers of sound and how they fit together
- Structure – how a piece of music is organised
Each year builds on the skills and knowledge of the previous one, ensuring children leave our school with a secure and confident musical foundation.
Music in the Early Years
Music begins from the very start of a child’s journey at Highfield Hall. In Nursery, our Monster Phonics programme introduces children to sounds in the environment, body percussion, rhythm and rhyme. Singing nursery rhymes and action songs is part of daily life, helping children develop confidence and performance skills.
In Reception, children follow weekly Kapow lessons, using their voices and a wide range of instruments to continue building their musical knowledge and enjoyment.
Music Across the School
- Weekly Music Lessons: Pupils use their voices and instruments such as percussion, glockenspiels and djembe.
- Year 2 & Year 5: Pupils learn to play handbells.
- Year 4: Whole-class ukulele lessons through our Wider Opportunities programme.
- Clubs and Enrichment: KS2 Choir, recorder, performing arts, and drumming clubs, all leading to performances.
- Instrumental Tuition: Guitar and ukulele lessons available for KS2 pupils.
- Music Appreciation: Weekly celebration of a wide range of music from different genres and historical eras.
- Whole School Singing: Each week we sing together as a whole school, learning new songs and performing them with pride.
Inclusion and SEND
We are committed to ensuring that music is accessible to all. Lessons are fully adaptable to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, offering flexible approaches such as using untuned percussion, providing visual aids, or supporting regulation with tools such as ear defenders. Our goal is that every child is able to take part and enjoy music at their own level.
Highlights of the Year
Music provides many opportunities for our children to share their talents and celebrate their learning throughout the year. Some of our highlights include:
- Christmas productions and concerts, where children perform for families and the wider community.
- Harvest and Easter celebrations, filled with music and song.
- End-of-year performances, giving pupils the chance to showcase their skills and creativity.
- Clubs and ensembles performing at school events and special occasions.
- Weekly Celebration Assemblies, where singing together strengthens our sense of community.
These events bring our school together, create lasting memories, and give our children the experience of performing with confidence and joy.
How Parents Can Support Music at Home
Parents and carers play a vital role in supporting children’s love of music. Some simple ways to help at home include:
- Encouraging singing – join in with songs your child is learning at school or sing along to favourite tunes together.
- Listening to music together – explore different styles and genres, from classical to pop, folk to jazz.
- Talking about music – ask your child what they enjoyed in their music lesson, or what instruments they can hear in a song.
- Providing opportunities to practise – if your child is learning an instrument, help them find time and space to practise at home.
- Sharing live music – whether at a concert, community event, or even a family celebration, experiencing live music is inspiring for children.
Together, home and school can nurture every child’s confidence, creativity, and lifelong love of music.