Intent

At St James Primary School our Music curriculum in Years 1 to 5 is taught through Junior Jam while Reception and Year 6 have a bespoke curriculum.  The curriculum we have chosen and is being taught throughout the school provides our pupils with a rich and diverse music education, which will fundamentally help to unlock their creative potential. Our music curriculum sets out to allow children to gain a broad range of musical experiences, giving our children the foundation to explore their talents and passions.

Our curriculum follows the objectives taken from the National Curriculum and is in accordance with the Model Music Curriculum.  It is designed to engage and inspire our children to develop a love and talent for music. The children will have a mixture of theory and instrumental learning so they will be exposed to a range of different knowledge, skills and experiences. 

An example of this learning can be seen through these units of work taken from Junior Jam in Year 4:

Core Subjects
•    Singing
•    Music Theory with Keyboards
•    Songwriting with Glockenspiels

Instrumentation Subjects
•    Class Jam
•    Keyboards
•    Steel Pans

At St James, we also offer an extra-curricular music club after school for children who have a passion and talent to broaden their musical experience alongside our school choir.

Implementation

At St James, we have created a full comprehensive curriculum that we implement across the academic year in partnership with Junior Jam in Years 1-5.  With the support of Junior Jam, we have created a curriculum that spans from Reception to Year 6.   

The core/theory units of works have been developed to contain the foundational knowledge. These units of work are year group specific and have been developed in accordance with both the National Curriculum for music and the Model Music Curriculum (2021).

Through the instrumental units of work, pupils will be given opportunities to celebrate, share and experience musical development and consolidate their learning from the core/theory courses. Pupils learn about the history and cultural significance of the instruments they are playing and are able to develop their aural skills.  Within the units of work, pupils have the opportunity to perform within the classroom in order to develop confidence.

Impact
Our music curriculum has a significant impact on our pupils, fostering a love of music and enabling them to develop both knowledge and skills that extend far beyond the classroom. Through our partnership with Junior Jam, children experience success and enjoyment in singing, playing instruments, composing and performing, which builds their confidence, creativity and resilience.

By learning through structured core theory and instrumental units, pupils are equipped with a secure foundation in musical understanding. They have the opportunity to explore keyboards, glockenspiels, steel pans and whole-class performance, giving them a broad and enriching range of experiences.  Exposure to a wide range of musical styles, traditions and instruments allows pupils to appreciate music’s cultural and historical importance.

By the time they leave our school, pupils have benefited from a comprehensive programme from Reception to Year 6, with Junior Jam providing consistency and progression. They are able to listen with understanding, perform with confidence and engage with music.