St Christopher’s RC Primary & Nursery School

Music Curriculum (Curriculum Designer & Leader: Lucy Mulhall and Jonathan Parkes)

At St Christopher’s, music is central to the creative life of the school. Music is taught by a specialist teacher who is able to teach the children to avery high level.  Weekly music lessons start in Nursery and Reception and focus on famous nursery rhymes, songs, percussion and pulse. This then progresses to children learning musical notation in Year 1 and Year 2, where they eventually learn to play different notes on the glockenspiel in the spring and summer terms.

In Key Stage 2 children in Year 3 play the ukulele and in Year 4 the recorder prepares them for brass. In Years 5 and 6 the children progress to the cornet. The local area has a history of brass bands and the children are taught about their proud history. They are then encouraged to continue this instrument in High School.

Manchester is home to the world famous Halle Orchestra, who play at the Bridgewater Hall. The school always takes part in the School Musical Performances at the Bridgewater Hall, organised by Tameside Music Service. The children are taught a piece of music and then play it alongside the musicians in the orchestra, a truly memorable experience.

Children who show a particular aptitude for music are then encouraged to join the school brass band where they take part in musical ensembles. This band practises once a week and is led by our specialist brass teacher, Mr Jonathon Parkes. All children in Key Stage 2 perform for the whole school and families at the end of the unit of learning. 

The whole school, through assemblies and research in classes, learn about the great composers throughout history. All children listen to a famous piece of work written by the composer.

Each week, the children participate in singing assemblies where they develop a range of voice and performance skills. Singing from an established repertoire, the children explore a broad and diverse range of songs and compositions that complement their wider creative curriculum.