Music provision is a real strength at Whiteheath Infants School and is taught throughout the school from Reception to Year 2. Each class has a dedicated resource of musical instruments, which are used to support learning across the curriculum. This allows children to develop their music skills both within and beyond their weekly music lessons.

Weekly lessons follow the National Curriculum and the Dimensions scheme. Learning involves singing, composing, playing and performing, listening, commenting and responding to music across a variety of musical genre, place, culture and occasion. Our lessons aim to develop pupils’ creativity, interest and enjoyment of music, build musical skills, self-discipline, knowledge and understanding. Children can gain a sense of achievement, at all levels of attainment, where practice, hard work, success and the love of music are enjoyed and acknowledged by peers, staff, parents and the wider school community. In addition, music helps pupils to develop their self-confidence, social skills, team work and the ability to perform to an audience.

All children from Reception to Year 2 receive a weekly Singing Assembly, lead by the school’s music coordinator. Here, following the principles of The Voices Foundation, children are guided to find their singing voices through fun singing activities and games. The children have the opportunity to perform at the Christmas and May Fayres as well as learning songs for occasions throughout the year and for school assemblies.

Our children playing the outdoor instruments

Further musical enrichment is important, with opportunities to experience music outside the classroom and to use musical skills within different contexts.  As such, we have Drumming Workshops and visiting musicians and ensembles throughout the year, which have included rock bands and professional string quartets!

       Children enjoying this                   Music display used to support

 year’s Drumming Workshop                         Singing Assemblies