Music

Overview

Music is a vital and joyful part of life at Rathfern Primary School. We believe that music is a universal language that inspires creativity, connection, and confidence. Through a rich, inclusive and progressive curriculum, every child has the opportunity to experience the wonder of making, performing, and appreciating music.

We have a strong and dynamic music department with a wide range of opportunities for pupils to sing, play instruments, compose, and perform. All children, from the Early Years to Year 6, take part in weekly music lessons taught by a specialist music teacher, developing key musicianship skills and creativity.

Children are introduced to musical notation through approaches inspired by Dalcroze and Kodály, and from Year 2 upwards, pupils engage in whole-class instrumental programmes, learning the ukulele, recorder and djembe.

Music making extends throughout the curriculum, with class teachers using singing and rhythm to support wider learning and prepare for assemblies and performances. Weekly singing assemblies, led by a specialist, bring the school together to celebrate music through joyful collective song.

Intent

At Rathfern Primary School, we aim to inspire a lifelong love of music and nurture every child’s creativity, confidence, and self-expression. Our curriculum, based on the National Curriculum for Music, enables pupils to sing, play instruments, compose, and listen with understanding across a range of styles and traditions. Through practical and creative experiences, children develop musical skills, knowledge, and appreciation, learning to perform and create with increasing confidence, control, and enjoyment.

Aims

To nurture Rathfern children’s evident love of singing, music, movement and creativity.
To provide a well-structured, progressive music curriculum in line with the National Curriculum.
To allow all children - including those with SEND - to be supported to develop their musical and creative skills.
To provide progression routes for children to develop their music and creativity further.
To give children the skills and confidence to sustain their ongoing development as musicians - By developing pupils who are imaginative, inquisitive, persistent, collaborative and disciplined.
To develop children’s cultural capital through a programme of rich and varied musical experiences that develop respect, creativity, and pride.
To inspire pupils to become confident, empathetic, and responsible citizens, with a lived experience of music’s power to connect people, strengthen community, and inspire positive change.

Implementation

Key Stage 1

Children are taught to:

Use their voices expressively and creatively through songs, chants, and rhymes.
Play tuned and untuned instruments musically.
Listen attentively to a range of high-quality live and recorded music.
Experiment with, create, and combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music (pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure).

Key Stage 2

Pupils build on these foundations to:

Sing and play musically with increasing confidence and control.
Develop skills in composition and improvisation, creating music for a range of purposes.
Use and understand musical notation and explore different forms of music technology.
Appreciate and analyse music from a wide range of genres, traditions, and historical periods.
Study influential composers, performers, and cultures to deepen understanding of music’s place in history and society.

Specialist and Enrichment Opportunities

Whole-class instrumental learning in ukulele and djembe (Year 2 upwards).
Singing assemblies and performance preparation with a specialist music teacher.
Songwriting in Year 6, culminating in the annual Winter Songwriting Competition. Winning pupils work with professional musicians to arrange and perform their original songs at prestigious local venues such as St Dunstan’s, Blackheath Halls, and the Royal Festival Hall.
Extra-curricular music includes ensembles for strings, brass, guitar, choir, djembe, and samba-reggae drumming.
Instrumental tuition is available in violin, piano, guitar, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, cello, drums, and voice, in partnership with Lewisham Music (www.lewishammusic.org)
Community performances are central to our ethos, with pupils performing at events such as the Blythe Hill Festival, Brockley Max Festival, and BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.

Curriculum Map

Our Music Curriculum ensures:

Progression of musical skills from simple rhythmic patterns in Early Years to complex ensemble performance and composition in Upper Key Stage 2.
Integration of performance, listening, composition, and appraisal in every unit.
A balance between creative freedom and structured skill development.
Regular opportunities for children to perform, reflect, and celebrate success through class concerts, assemblies, and local events.
Cultural diversity is embedded throughout, reflecting the rich musical heritage of our community.

Impact

By the time children leave Rathfern, they:

Demonstrate a secure understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music and can apply them confidently in performance and composition.
Have developed confidence, discipline, and self-expression through music-making.
Listen actively and appreciate a broad range of musical genres and traditions.
Can evaluate music critically, using appropriate musical vocabulary.
Have had opportunities to perform publicly and experience the pride and teamwork that performance brings.
Value music as a powerful means of communication, expression, and joy.

At Rathfern, music is not just a subject — it is a celebration of creativity, community, and culture that enriches every child’s educational journey.

Gallery

Pupil Voice

rathfern winter concert 2024.pdf

Extra Curricular Music

For those children who wish to pursue instrumental learning or singing further, or simply have fun with friends through music, there are a wide range of extra-curricula music making opportunities.

We currently offer tuition in, Violin, Piano, Guitar, Flute, Clarinet ,Trumpet, Trombone, Drum kit, Cello, Djembe, Samba Reggae and singing (Choir). These lessons are funded by parents, with subsidies for children eligible for pupil premium. Many of these lessons are provided by Lewisham Music. https://www.lewishammusic.org/

Ensembles

Children are invited to join an instrumental ensemble in preparation for concerts and assemblies. In 2024-25 we had wonderful performances from Brass and Brazilian Drumming ensemble, Djembe, Violin and Cello. The Guitar ensemble rehearses once a week on Thursday after school – and performed at Lewisham Music’s Borough concert ‘Live Unplugged’, our school ‘Bake Off’ and ‘Summer Fair’.

Our Djembe drumming group, Brazilian (Samba Reggae) drumming group and our choir perform regularly within the community at local venues such as Blackheath Halls, Broadway Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, Clore Ballroom, Blythe Hill Festival, Brockley Max Festival