Music at Cavendish CE Primary School

“Music can ignite pupils’ creativity, enrich their cultural understanding, and build confidence as performers and listeners.”
Inspired by the National Curriculum for Music and Ofsted curriculum principles

At Cavendish CE Primary School, we believe that music plays a vital role in developing confident, creative and expressive learners. Music enables pupils to explore ideas, work collaboratively and develop a sense of achievement through performance. Our music curriculum is designed to be inclusive, progressive and inspiring, ensuring that all children experience success and enjoyment in music.

Music in EYFS to Year 4

From EYFS through to Year 4, music is taught by a specialist music teacher, ensuring high-quality provision and strong subject expertise from the very start of children’s musical journeys.

To support clear progression and consistency, we use Charanga to structure our curriculum. Charanga’s Musical School programme is fully aligned with the National Curriculum for Music and supports children to develop skills in listening, singing, performing, composing and appraising.

Charanga enables pupils to:

• build musical skills progressively year on year

• develop confidence through singing and performance

• explore a wide range of musical styles, genres and traditions

• engage creatively with rhythm, pitch and structure

This approach ensures that music learning is engaging, inclusive and accessible for all pupils, while laying strong foundations for future instrumental study.

Music in Years 5 and 6

In Years 5 and 6, we work in partnership with the Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub to deliver high-quality music education. Music Hubs are government-funded partnerships that support schools to provide specialist instrumental teaching, ensemble experiences and performance opportunities.

Through this partnership, pupils benefit from expert tuition that builds on their prior learning and develops more advanced musical skills.

pBone Instrumental Learning (Years 5–6)

As part of our upper key stage 2 music curriculum, pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn to play the pBone.

The pBone is a lightweight, durable plastic trombone-style brass instrument, specifically designed for younger learners. It allows pupils to experience authentic brass playing in a way that is accessible, practical and engaging.

Learning the pBone helps pupils to:

• develop breath control and brass technique

• read and perform musical notation

• play as part of an ensemble

• build confidence through performance

This instrumental programme supports progression, teamwork and musical understanding, while giving pupils a sense of achievement as musicians.

What Our Music Curriculum Achieves

Across EYFS to Year 6, our music curriculum enables pupils to:

• listen attentively and respond to music thoughtfully

• perform confidently using voice and instruments

• explore creativity through composition and improvisation

• develop cultural awareness through a wide range of musical styles

• grow in confidence as performers and listeners

By combining specialist teaching, Charanga-supported progression, and instrumental learning through the Norfolk & Suffolk Music Hub, we ensure that music at Cavendish truly ignites creativity, enriches cultural understanding, and builds confidence in every child.