Music
"Where words fail, music speaks"
Hans Christian Andersen
Vision and Rationale
At Mendip Green, we want every child to experience the joy of music. Through a wide range of musical activities, we help children build confidence and discover music as a powerful way to express themselves. From listening and appreciating different styles, to creating, composing, singing, and performing, we make music an exciting part of school life. We also value music for its positive impact on well-being. Our aim is simple: to nurture a love of music that stays with children for life.Music is so much more than notes and rhythms—it’s a window into history, culture, and creativity. Our curriculum helps children understand how music has evolved over time and across the world, and why it matters to different communities. They learn to see music both as a subject to study and as something that shapes how we feel and connect with others. By the time they leave us, children will have the skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to keep exploring music long into the future.
Our Music Curriculum
Early Years Foundation Stage – Expressive Arts and Design
The educational programme for expressive arts and design set out in the EYFS Framework is delivered in our reception classes in line with the Extend Reception Curriculum.
Key Stage 1 and 2 – Music
We follow the national curriculum.
We use the Sing Up Music scheme of work for an active musical approach to lessons, connecting singing and playing, composing and improvising, listening and appraising. This scheme is fully aligned with the national curriculum whilst complimenting effective learning strategies through progressively sequenced teaching. Sing Up Music supports the model music curriculum.
Overview
Music Development Plan
Overview
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Detail |
Information |
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Academic year that this summary covers |
2025 - 2026 |
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Date this summary was published |
28/08/2025 |
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Date this summary will be reviewed |
28/08/2026 |
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Name of the school music lead |
Holly Elkins |
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Name of school leadership team member with responsibility for music (if different) |
Victoria Walton |
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Name of local music hub |
West of England Music Alliance (WEMA) |
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Name of other music education organisation(s) (if partnership in place) |
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This is a summary of how our school delivers music education to all our pupils across three areas – curriculum music, co-curricular provision and musical experiences – and what changes we are planning in future years. This information is to help pupils and parents or carers understand what our school offers and who we work with to support our pupils’ music education.
Part A: Curriculum music
This is about what we teach in lesson time, how much time is spent teaching music and any music qualifications or awards that pupils can achieve.
We use Sing Up's primary music curriculum to deliver high-quality classroom music across the primary school. Our resources support a creative and active musical approach to lessons, connecting singing and playing, composing and improvising, listening and appraising. Each unit is mapped against the Statutory Framework for Early Years, the national curriculum and the model music curriculum, with an at a glance overview of how outcomes can be delivered for every year group.
- In Years 1–6, lessons are a minimum of 40 minutes and are taught by class teachers
- Daily music opportunities within EYFS as part of purposeful learning environment include access to music instruments
- Fortnightly singing assemblies further supplement this musical learning in each key stage, lasting 20 minutes
- ‘Songs of the month’ which cover a range of songs, tunes and key culture musical influences from within our British national landscape. There are 2 songs each month – one that the children can learn and sing and another to listen to and discuss
- Work in partnership with WEMA to access whole class music workshops e.g. African music or steel pan drums workshop; inter school music opportunities such as Raise the Roof for Year 3 and 4 or Summer Sing for Year 2
- Provide network opportunities for our music lead within our multi-academy trust and within WEMA with the annual music conference and liaising directly with WEMA music hub lead
To read in more detail about the provision music at Mendip Green Primary School, please visit our music curriculum page: Music | Mendip Green Primary School
Whole class music tuition
Children in Year 4 learn an instrument as a whole-class ensemble taught by music specialists from WEMA as part of the Wider Opportunities programme. Each project lasts 10 weeks and culminates in a performance where children perform songs and pieces for an invited audience of parents/carers.
To read in more detail about WEMA and the services they provide, please visit their website: WEMA - West of England Music Alliance
Part B: Extra-curricular music
This is about opportunities for pupils to sing and play music, outside of lesson time, including choirs, ensembles and bands, and how pupils can make progress in music beyond the core curriculum.
Enrichment Clubs
As part of our extra-curricular offer, we offer a variety of music opportunities through our Friday afternoon enrichment clubs. Last year, this has included, singing club, music technology club and music club (composition and performance) club.
Afterschool Clubs
Our link with Per4mance Arts, allows families to sign up for the club that combines singing, acting and musical theatre. In the final week, children perform to an invited audience of family and friends.
Part C: Musical experiences
This is about all the other musical events and opportunities that we organise, such as singing in assembly, concerts and shows, and trips to professional concerts.
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ELAN Music Festival The ELAN Summer Music Festival will be held in July 2026. The children will perform as a choir across the trust schools to an audience of parents/carers and guests at a local venue. This opportunity will enable our young people to: • use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes • listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music • play and perform in ensemble contexts, using their voices with increasing accu-racy, fluency, control and expression • appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians This will be free for our children and schools to participate; however, we will charge the audience for tickets at a minimal cost. We will draw on the local community, musicians and organisations to support and enable the children to perform with live music. Musician visits At Mendip Green, we reach out to local musicians, groups and secondary schools to offer children the opportunity to see a wide range of quality performances by a variety of musicians. We work with Worle Community School Academy who invite our Year 5 children to watch their music students perform at Christmas and in the summer term. The WCSA have also provided opportunities for their pupils to perform at Mendip Green. Year 3 and 4 children also visit the recording studio in Worle School to record a song and make a music video. We endeavour to continue to explore musicians from many genres to broaden children’s experiences and joy of music. By seeing musicians perform at different points for the journey as a performer (from students to professionals), children are given increased opportunities to be inspired by what they see and hear, see themselves as musicians and be encouraged to pursue music for enjoyment. Whole School Assemblies At Mendip Green, music is a part of our culture and brings a sense of belonging as children sing together. We start assemblies with a singing or listening to music from different eras and genres. |
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We also use music to accompany, key national and cultural days in our national calendar. Seasonal Performances As part of our seasonal celebrations, we use a range of music including hymns and instrumental pieces for our children to perform too. Children, through these different performances will: • use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes • listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music The have the following seasonal performances every year, where children perform to an audience of invited family, their peers, and the school community: • Year 1 Harvest Service • Year 2 Harvest Service at the church • EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas shows • Year 4 Christmas Sing-a-long • Year 5 Crib Service at the church • Year 6 graduation • Year 6 Summer Show Children also perform alongside peers from other schools in the local area through events coordinated by WEMA: Year 2 Summer Sing and Year 3/4 Raise the Roof. Music is intrinsically linked to other curriculum areas. We use music in PSHE to explore feelings as part of our Jigsaw curriculum; in science to explore sound and how is created and in PE, all year groups use music to support dance units. Throughout the year, we have dance opportunities for our children with music through ‘wake and shake’ sessions and through our lunchtime provision. In EYFS, we have worked with North Somerset Early Years team, to identify core poems, rhymes and songs. |
In the future
This is about what the school is planning for subsequent years.
- Provide opportunities for instrumental tuition at school
- Work more closely with local secondary schools music departments
- Termly performances from a range of outside professional musicians
Download a copy of Mendip Green's Music Development Plan
