Music

In January 2025 we started using the MelodEase scheme for music. This will be reviewed periodically to ensure it is fulfilling our needs. 

Intent

At Moorcroft Wood Academy we believe that music is an essential part of a child’s education, therefore every child has the opportunity to participate in a wide range of musical activities during their school career. 

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire learners to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

Through our broad and balanced curriculum, opportunities to sing and learn instruments underpin learning and development not only within music as a subject but also through a cross-curricular approach. We want our children to foster a love of music within their learning through other subjects to aid learning and enjoyment.

We recognise that singing is a great starting point for musical learning and the development of many skills. We intend to create a strong and positive bond within our school and join the community together – marking significant moments by singing together and listening to music, like during assemblies, instrumental performances, musical visitors into school and special events in the calendar. Additionally, performances at different venues such as the Forest Arts centre aim to develop relationships.

We aim to run after school music clubs involving various instruments as well as a performing arts group in the new year.

Implementation

The music curriculum ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom activities and other musical events throughout the year such as performances and assemblies.

Whilst at Moorcroft Wood Academy we aim for our children to meet the expectations of the National Curriculum. These are:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

The elements of music and the national curriculum are taught in classroom lessons using the scheme Charanga so that children are able to use some of the language of music to study it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. The Charanga scheme of work is used from Nursery to year 6 to ensure a wide exposure to different genres of music, with lots of practical opportunities to explore and develop as musicians and singers. This allows the children to understand the different principles of each method of creating notes, as well as how to read basic music notation. They also learn how to compose focusing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument. 

Charanga supports a fully integrated approach to music development, connecting the interrelated strands of singing, playing, improvising, composing, and performance.   

The progression map from Charanga ensures all interrelated elements of music are covered and implemented. This ensures that children are given the opportunity to learn and acquire appropriate skills in music which are progressive across all year groups.  The link to the progression map can be seen further down this page.

Impact

Whilst at Moorcroft Wood, children have access to a varied musical programme  which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas that they might like to improve upon. Progress is assessed throughout the year and is used to track the development and knowledge of our pupil’s musical ability using the Charanga assessment documents. Children are able to access fundamental abilities such as achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others and self-reflection. They also have the opportunity to discuss and share their own thoughts and opinions, acknowledging that their opinion might differ from others. Music will also develop an understanding of culture, history and ethics from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music as a listener, performer and creator.  Please see the link further down this page for an overview of the topics covered by each year group.

Charanga Skills and Progression Document

Music At Moorcroft Wood

 Rock Steady

We are extremely lucky to have music teachers from the company Rock Steady come in to Moorcroft Wood each Wednesday  and teach the children how to play a variety of musical instruments.

Children perform in small groups - their bands - and learn a song that they perform to the rest of the school each term.

Their first concert in July was amazing and considering the children had only had 12 lessons, they did amazingly well. We can't wait to see what comes this year.

If your child would like to sign up please come and speak to Miss Perry.

Young Voices 2025

Children from key stage 2 were very excited to take part in Young Voices 2025 in Birmingham.  The Young Voices choir experience is unlike any other with the children singing along side 8000 children from other schools in front of a large audience of family and friends. 

Moorcroft Wood will be taking part in Young Voices again in January 2027

Music Madness 2026

Children from KS2  took part in the Lighthouse Trust Music concert at Bescot Stadium.  The children performed many songs as part of the trust. They did and excellent job and we are extremely proud of them for having the courage to sing in front of such a large audience.  

If you want further information about the curriculum content your child is covering please call the school office to arrange an appointment to see the subject leader. 

Below you will find some videos and pictures to showcase what your child has been learning about in music.

Nursery

The Nest

Reception

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5 

Year 6