“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” – Ephesians 5:19
Our Vision
At St Joseph’s, we believe that music is a powerful gift that nurtures creativity, deepens emotional expression, and brings communities together in harmony. Through a rich and inclusive music curriculum, we aim to inspire every child, from EYFS to Year 6, to explore sound, develop musical skills, and experience the joy of performance and composition.
We encourage pupils to listen with discernment, respond with imagination, and grow in confidence as they discover their own musical voice. Music at St Joseph’s becomes a spiritual journey—one that celebrates global and local diversity, fosters unity, and uplifts the soul through Faith, Hope and Love. Children will respond empathically to pieces of music, both from professionals and their peers, they will gain resilience when composing and performing, and have the aspirations to improve in their chosen instrument, should they wish to.
What does Music look like at St. Joseph's?
Our music curriculum is shaped by our school vision, which encourages every child to ‘be the best they can be’. Music at St Joseph’s is immersive, inclusive and aspirational, underpinned by a clear progression of skills and knowledge. It is taught regularly across the year, ensuring that musical understanding is built upon year by year and sequenced to maximise learning and enjoyment for all children.
It is important that pupils develop as confident, expressive musicians throughout their time at St Joseph’s—not simply learning isolated facts or songs, but growing in their ability to listen, perform, compose and appreciate music in all its forms.
Building on this strong foundation, in the Early Years Foundation Stage we use the Get Set for Music curriculum to introduce children to music in an engaging, playful and developmentally appropriate way. Through singing, movement, rhythm activities and the use of simple instruments, children begin to explore sound, pattern and expression. The curriculum supports early listening skills, coordination and creative confidence, allowing pupils to experiment with music in a safe and supportive environment. Carefully planned opportunities encourage children to join in, respond to music and begin to understand basic musical concepts, laying the groundwork for the more structured musical learning they will encounter as they progress through the school.
In Key Stage 1, we continue to build on these early experiences by using the Get Set for Music curriculum to develop pupils’ musical skills in a more structured and progressive way. Children take part in regular singing, listening and performing activities, where they begin to recognise and explore key musical elements such as pulse, rhythm and pitch. Through engaging, practical lessons, pupils are encouraged to play both tuned and untuned instruments, respond to different genres of music and start to compose simple pieces of their own. The curriculum supports the development of confidence, teamwork and expressive skills, ensuring that all children are actively involved and able to experience success as young musicians, while laying strong foundations for further musical learning in Key Stage 2.
In Key Stage 2, the Get Set for Music curriculum enables pupils to deepen their musical understanding and refine their skills through a carefully sequenced programme of learning. Building on prior knowledge, children explore a wider range of musical genres, cultures and styles, developing their ability to listen critically and respond with increasing insight. They learn to perform with greater accuracy and expression, both individually and as part of an ensemble, and are given regular opportunities to compose and notate their own music using appropriate musical vocabulary. Through this approach, pupils grow in confidence, creativity and independence, developing a secure understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music and preparing them for continued musical study beyond primary school.
Typical Lesson Structure
Music lessons at St. Joseph's do not tend to follow a set structure or routine. TO keep the curriculum engaging, pupils may be listening and appraising, rehearsing, composing, performing, and sometimes playing games or dancing. They may complete worksheets, or give pupil voice to show their understanding.
National Curriculum
The Get Set for Music scheme is carefully designed to align with the National Curriculum for Music, ensuring full coverage of its key strands. Through its clear progression and structured sequence of learning, it supports the development of musical knowledge, skills and vocabulary across each key stage. The scheme enables teachers to deliver high-quality, inclusive music lessons that meet statutory requirements while fostering creativity, confidence and a lifelong appreciation of music in all pupils.
You can find a link to the National Curriculum for Music
here.
Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand
With an equal opportunity
For all to sing, dance and clap their hands
Stevie Wonder
Rock Riffs for Kids and Beginners
Rich, the guitar man, has very kindly provided us with a link to access 40-50 simplified rock riffs for children to learn a play.
This is available to the children who have guitar lessons in school but also to anyone who has a guitar at home or is looking to learn a new skill.
The website is www.rtguitars.co.uk, just go to the kids zone and you can see and download from there. You can also click the link below which will take you directly to the resources.
Enjoy!
The pianists of St Joseph's...
Guitarists of St Joseph's...