“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”

Plato

At Holm Cultram Abbey, children are encouraged to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians. Music topics give pupils the opportunity to listen to music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions. Pupils learn to sing, play musical instruments and to create music of their own.

Our teaching of music at HCA is underpinned by the National Curriculum, and we follow the ‘Kapow’ music scheme across school. This scheme of work fulfils the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum.  The National Curriculum of music aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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 scheme has five strands running through it:

Listening and evaluating

Creating Sound

Notation

Improvisation and composing

Performing – singing and playing

We are also able to provide tuition on piano or guitar for children who are interested in learning.  Carolyn comes into school to deliver lessons twice a week.  There is a cost to these, unless the family qualify for the Free School Meal grant.   In these cases, the school is able to fund the lessons through the Pupil Premium Grant. 

Carolyn also leads KS2 in a choir session each week.