Music
At Herons Dale, Music provides pupils with opportunities to experience enjoyment, creativity, communication and self-expression. Through a carefully sequenced and inclusive curriculum, pupils develop their awareness of sound, listening skills, musical understanding and confidence whilst participating in individual and shared musical experiences.
Our curriculum draws on Development Matters, Sounds of Intent and the My Music curriculum. Pupils experience singing and signing, call and response, rhythm, body percussion, instrument exploration, music technology, composition and performance. Music is taught as a discrete subject and is also used purposefully within stories, topic learning, routines, transitions and activities that support engagement and regulation.
Music is adapted so that every pupil can participate meaningfully from their individual starting point. Repetition, modelling, familiar musical routines, symbols, signing, adapted instruments, switches and Soundbeam enable pupils to explore and create music in accessible ways. Performance is understood broadly and may include listening, responding, vocalising, moving, choosing a sound, activating a switch, playing an instrument, singing or signing.
Through Music, we aim to develop pupils who enjoy musical experiences, express preferences, participate with others and communicate creatively. As pupils progress, they develop increasing control, independence and confidence in creating, performing and responding to music.
What Pupils Learn
Across the school, pupils learn to:
- develop awareness of and respond to different sounds and music
- anticipate familiar songs, rhythms and musical routines
- listen, attend and participate in shared musical experiences
- explore instruments, voices, body percussion and music technology
- make choices and express preferences about songs, sounds and instruments
- take turns and respond to others through musical interaction
- copy actions, sounds, beats and simple rhythms
- sing and sign familiar songs
- play instruments with increasing control and independence
- create, record and develop simple musical ideas
- experience music from different artists, genres, cultures and traditions
- participate in performances as individuals, classes and members of the wider school community
Cultural Capital and Enrichment
Music makes an important contribution to pupils’ cultural experiences and their sense of belonging within the school community. Pupils encounter a broad range of artists, genres and musical traditions through lessons, Performing Assemblies, cultural celebrations, the school music diary and Musician of the Month.
Pupils have opportunities to take part in choir, drumming and other instrument clubs, whole-school performances, Time to Shine and Time to Dance. They also experience visiting musicians and organisations, including West Sussex Music and Rocksteady, and have opportunities to attend performances such as Worthing Symphony Orchestra.
Shared performances with Federation schools, community groups and visiting performers enable pupils to experience music both as performers and as members of an audience. These opportunities broaden pupils’ experiences, build confidence and help them understand that music can be enjoyed and shared in many different ways.
Preparing for Adulthood and British Values
Through Music, pupils develop communication, confidence and the ability to participate alongside others. Singing, signing, call and response, turn-taking and group music-making help pupils listen to others, express themselves and contribute to a shared activity.
Pupils learn to make choices, communicate preferences and develop confidence in performing or sharing their musical ideas. Familiar songs and predictable musical routines can also support emotional regulation, wellbeing and readiness to participate.
Exploring music from different artists, cultures and traditions helps pupils develop respect for difference and an awareness of the wider world. Performing in school and community events supports confidence, belonging and participation. These experiences prepare pupils to access leisure opportunities, cultural events and shared activities beyond school.
How Music Develops Across Our Pathways
Discoverers
Our youngest and most complex learners access Music through sensory, interactive and communication-rich experiences. Pupils explore sound, rhythm, vibration, voices and instruments through play, familiar songs and repeated musical routines. Soundbeam, switches and adapted instruments enable pupils to experience cause and effect and recognise that their actions can create a musical response.
Adults use repetition, anticipation, signing, symbols and close observation to support engagement and communication. The emphasis is on developing awareness, shared attention, intentional responses and enjoyment through meaningful musical interaction.
Explorers
Pupils develop their participation through familiar songs, rhymes, sensory music activities and instrument exploration. They are supported to make choices, take turns, copy simple actions and sounds, and communicate their preferences through speech, signing, symbols, movement, eye gaze or changes in engagement.
Learning remains highly practical and repetitive, enabling pupils to build familiarity and confidence. As pupils develop, they begin to participate for longer, anticipate parts of familiar songs and use instruments, switches or their voices with increasing purpose and independence.
Adventurers and Voyagers
As pupils progress, they participate in increasingly structured music-making. They develop their ability to keep a beat, copy rhythms, respond through call and response, sing, sign and play a range of instruments. Pupils explore how sounds can be combined and begin to create and record simple musical ideas.
Learning provides regular opportunities for shared music-making, choice, turn-taking and performance. Pupils develop increasing control, confidence and independence whilst listening and responding to music from different artists, genres, cultures and traditions.
Pioneers
Formal learners follow a structured and progressive Music curriculum that develops musical knowledge, creativity and performance skills. Pupils refine their ability to maintain and copy rhythms, sing and play instruments with increasing accuracy, and create, record and develop musical ideas.
Pupils use a growing musical vocabulary to discuss songs, sounds, instruments, artists and genres. They are encouraged to explain their preferences, evaluate their own work and perform with increasing confidence and independence. Opportunities to use music technology and participate in individual, group and whole-school performances support pupils to apply their learning in different contexts.
Navigators
Pupils in the Navigator cohort access Music through a flexible combination of pathway approaches matched to their communication, regulation and readiness. Familiar songs, predictable routines, movement, sensory sound exploration and practical music-making help pupils engage successfully and develop confidence.
Visual support, repetition, choice and personalised adult guidance enable pupils to participate at an appropriate level. Music may also support regulation, emotional expression and interaction. As pupils become more secure, they are encouraged to take turns, express preferences, play instruments, create sounds and participate alongside others.