Music

At Little Dewchurch Primary School our intent is to provide pupils with diverse opportunities to engage in and explore the rich tapestry of music and drama. Through a range of experiences, we aim for all pupils to immerse themselves in performance arts, enhancing their appreciation of historical and contemporary compositions while developing their voices for school productions. We encourage creativity, enabling every child to create and compose music individually and collaboratively. In our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we implement play-based learning, ensuring all pupils establish a strong foundation in musical and dramatic skills. In KS1 and KS2 understanding the foundational concepts of music—such as pitch, dynamics, and tempo—is essential, as is the exploration of drama through role adoption and improvisation. We teach using Kapow's Scheme which is a spiral curriculum where the key musical skills and learning are repeated across the Units of Work. This repetition enables more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills across a breadth of repertoire.  By involving professional musicians and offering instrumental lessons, we ensure our pupils embark on a journey of progression, thereby fostering self-confidence and collaboration while linking our teaching to culturally significant musicians and playwrights from the UK and beyond. 

At Little Dewchurch Primary School, our music department is esteemed for its outstanding vocal and instrumental achievements. We foster a love for music across all ages, involving children from the youngest to the oldest in a vibrant tapestry of genres. Our school choir, comprising members aged 7 to 11, regularly performs within the local community, bringing joy through a diverse repertoire that includes traditional hymns, popular favourites, and songs from theatrical productions.

Over the past ten years, we have participated in significant events like the Young Voices concerts evensong at Hereford Cathedral, as well as collaborative performances with Hereford Cathedral School and Sing Spring with larger schools. Our cherished partnership with St David's Church has allowed us to lead meaningful services during key times, such as Easter and Harvest.

Whole-school singing is an integral part of life at Little Dewchurch. We have delighted residents at our local care home with our performances as well as performing to the ‘Over 60’s Club’, demonstrating our commitment to sharing music beyond our school walls. Each year, the children showcase their talents through various productions, including the Infant Nativity, talent shows and festivals of worship at our local church. Additionally, our collective worship sessions provide opportunities for singing, dancing, and drama, especially during Harvest, Christmas, and Easter celebrations.

From an early age, musical talents are nurtured through extracurricular activities led by our skilled music specialists. Our musicians regularly have the chance to perform for friends and families at school concerts and events held in All Saints Church and during the Young Voices concerts.

In our well-equipped music facilities we have a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. The Year 5 and Year 6 students benefit from "Wider Opportunities" sessions, conducted by specialised teachers from the Herefordshire Music Service, ensuring that each child's passion for music is encouraged and developed.

Overview

Kapow’s Music EYFS units are not designed to be taught in a set order. Instead, they feature flexible, small-step activities, allowing teachers to personalise lessons to fit in with their chosen themes or topics. The ‘Celebration music’ unit consists of lessons which could be taught throughout the year when studying the festivals Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwankzaa and Christmas, for example.