Music at St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Leyland

Intent

At St Anne’s, we believe that music is a powerful and universal form of expression that nurtures the heart, mind, and soul. Rooted in our Catholic ethos and guided by the National Curriculum, our music provision inspires pupils to develop creatively, spiritually, and culturally. Through a knowledge-rich, inclusive curriculum, we aim to build each child’s identity as a musician—one who can listen attentively, perform confidently, compose imaginatively, and engage thoughtfully with the wider world of music.

We follow the CUSP Music curriculum to ensure that children receive a well-structured, sequenced, and ambitious musical education. By exposing pupils to a diverse range of genres, artists, and traditions, both local and global, we foster musical curiosity and cultural appreciation. We are committed to developing pupils' fluency in musical language, technical competence, and artistic confidence, while also embedding the values of resilience, collaboration, and joy in creative expression.

Implementation

Our music curriculum is designed to ensure accessibility for all learners, including non-specialist teachers, through structured guidance and a consistent approach to instruction. Teaching is underpinned by the CUSP curriculum, ensuring clear modelling, scaffolding, and opportunities for independent practice.

We prioritise four key pillars across our curriculum:

• Singing
• Listening and Appraising
• Composing and Improvising
• Instrumental Performance

These are carefully mapped across key stages and interwoven into long-term plans that revisit and deepen understanding over time. Teachers make use of Knowledge Notes and high-impact strategies that reflect cognitive science principles—such as retrieval practice and structured routines—to embed key knowledge and improve musical memory.

Musical vocabulary is taught and rehearsed explicitly from Key Stage 1, with pupils engaging in rich discussions, written responses, and practical applications. This supports the development of musical fluency and empowers pupils to describe, evaluate, and explore music with increasing confidence and precision.

Pupils regularly engage with significant musical figures, periods of musical history, and a wide array of musical styles, enabling them to form personal responses, identify preferences, and see themselves reflected in the diverse soundscapes they encounter.

Impact

The impact of our music curriculum is seen in the growing confidence, musicality, and expressive capability of our pupils. Children leave St Anne’s with a well-rounded musical foundation — able to sing in unison and harmony, play and perform with control, respond critically to what they hear, and express their ideas through composition and improvisation.

Our sequenced approach ensures that musical knowledge is revisited and secured, vocabulary is understood and applied, and pupils develop their musical identities through meaningful experiences. We see our pupils become curious listeners, joyful performers, and reflective creators.

Ultimately, music at St Anne’s nurtures a love of learning and a celebration of God-given talents. It equips children with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to continue their musical journey beyond primary school—whether as musicians, informed audiences, or simply as lovers of music in all its forms.