Music

Music Intent

Singing and playing instruments often makes us feel happy – it has been scientifically proven! Singing releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in the brain. Because the deep breathing needed to sing draws more oxygen into the blood and causes better circulation, it’s also an aerobic activity and a natural stress-reducer.

At Horley Infant School, it is our intent to enable children to enjoy the “feel good feeling” in Music as well as develop and explore musical skills with increasing understanding and control. We develop our pupils’ enjoyment and passion for Music through creative and imaginative activities including discrete music lessons as well as performances for families and teach them how to recognise and describe how their bodies feel when listening to and playing music. Our curriculum is designed to create memorable moments for our children, which will remain in pupils’ memories alongside the “sticky skills” within the inter-related dimensions of music.

What does Music look like at our school? (Implementation)

Music weaves its way into many aspects of our school life. Beginning school life in Reception, children learn simple rhymes and songs to help support their learning and we also encourage the next Beethoven or Beyoncé to perform in our outside classroom. Music, both traditional and contemporary, flows through school performances such as our annual Reception Harvest festival (including favourites such as Big, Red Combine Harvester) and our annual nativities and class assemblies. As children progress through the interdimensional skills of Music found within Charanga (our music scheme), they enjoy using both tuned and untuned instruments within their lessons to demonstrate understanding of pulse, rhythm, pitch and melody.