Music at Holmes Chapel


At Holmes Chapel Primary School, children are exposed to diverse artists and performers from different genders, cultures, traditions, styles and genres to enhance their global and cultural understanding of the past and present world. 

Children experience quality music first hand through visitors within school and visits out of school.  They have access to high quality resources inside and outside of the classroom which ensures we are covering the National Curriculum requirement to ‘engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement’. They have access to ICT to allow them to compose, observe and respond to Music using up to date techniques.

Children have opportunities to develop and enhance their performance with voice and instruments by following a clear progression of skills and technique taught through the Music Express scheme we have chosen to follow, such as vocal and instrumental control.

All children, regardless of abilities, are given the chance to express themselves through performing and composing.


In EYFS pupils are taught to

Sing a repertoire of simple songs including familair nursery rhymes and those from different cultures and periods of history.

Imitate and respond to music through rhythmical movement including their whole bodies.

Tap out simple repeated rhythms and begin to explore and play percussion instruments.

Explore music making opportunities using natural and man made objects to create their own instruments through play and investigation.

In KS 1 pupils are taught to


Play tuned and untuned instruments musically




In KS2 pupils are taught to



Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

Use and understand staff and other musical notations


Develop an understanding of the history of music

What Music lessons look like

Lessons are grouped in units. Each unit has a musical focus, eg exploring sounds, beat, pitch, performance. Each lesson is divided into three activities. The lesson usually begins with a stimulus (a piece of music, video clip or picture) as an introduction to the skill focus. Children will then spend time practicing the skill before having time to evaluate what they have done.

We have a wide range of peripatetic music teachers who teach lessons in our school at lunchtimes or after the end of the school day.  These are organised and run by Love Music Trust.  If you are interested in finding out more, follow this link to their webiste.




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