Across all key stages, the national music curriculum is designed to help children develop in the following areas:

• Broad engagement with different periods, styles, genres and traditions of music

This is achieved by developing skills of listening, performance, review and evaluation by spending time engaged in critical and varied listening activities.

• Ability to perform musically

All children should learn to use their voices to sing as part of an ensemble. They should also be able to create and compose music alone and with others. The national curriculum for music also states that schools should ensure all children have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and progress to the next level of musical excellence.

• Understanding of how music is created, produced and communicated

In order to achieve this, children need an understanding of the elements which music is made up of, the basics of musical notation and how these are used to create expression in music.

Music lessons in school should engage pupils' creativity, inspire them to pursue a love of music, and wish to improve their musicianship, as well as help them to make practical progress in a way which makes them feel that they have achieved something.

Why do we teach music?

Aside from being a key creative subject, there are lots of benefits to teaching music in primary schools - and at every stage in life.

Music is a hugely enjoyable subject, which helps children who might otherwise struggle to stay engaged in school. It also positively impacts your mood, and children who study music can enjoy increased self-esteem. It's a way of learning about history as well as different cultures and traditions around the world in a practical and enjoyable way.

As well as benefitting children on an emotional level, music also helps with:

• coordination
• concentration
• memory
• language
• reasoning

So, there are plenty of reasons to get into the groove!

What do children learn at each Key Stage?

At KS1, children should be taught to:

• use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes;
• play tuned and untuned instruments musically;
• listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music;
• experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music.

As part of the KS2 music curriculum, children should be taught to:

• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression;
• improve and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music;
• listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory;
• use and understand staff and other musical notations;
• appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians;
• develop an understanding of the history of music.