Music
The Black Country Schools Federation
At The Black Country Schools, music is a vital part of the curriculum that nurtures creativity, confidence, and cultural awareness. We believe music enables pupils to express themselves, develop technical and listening skills, and experience joy through composition and performance.
Through the CUSP Music Curriculum, pupils build strong foundations in musicianship and grow as confident performers and composers.
Curriculum Intent
Our music curriculum ensures that pupils:
- Develop confidence in singing, playing instruments, and performing to others
- Learn to compose, improvise, and refine musical ideas
- Listen analytically to a wide range of music, understanding key features and styles
- Explore diverse musical traditions, genres, and composers
- Build fluency in reading notation, rhythm, and melody
We regularly celebrate music through performances, whole-school events, and partnerships with professional musicians. Music is a valued and vibrant part of school life.
Music in the Early Years
In EYFS, music is embedded within “Expressive Arts and Design.” Pupils:
- Develop confidence through singing songs and chants
- Explore rhythm, pitch, and beat using body percussion and instruments
- Move expressively to music and respond to tempo and dynamics
- Listen to music from around the world to build cultural awareness
These experiences lay the foundation for technical musicianship and performance readiness in Key Stage 1.
The CUSP Music Curriculum
Each year group studies six blocks across the year, structured into five-week units with an additional week for enrichment and consolidation. This ensures high-quality progression and retrieval.
Key strands of study:
- Performing: Singing and Instrumentation
- Developing vocal control and musicality
- Playing tuned and untuned instruments
- Introducing keyboards and ensemble work in upper KS2
- Composing and Improvising
- Exploring rhythm, melody, and harmony
- Creating original musical pieces
- Improvising within musical structures
- Listening and Appraising
- Listening to a diverse range of music from different times and places
- Using musical vocabulary to analyse structure, texture, and dynamics
- Learning about composers, instruments, and traditions
- Notation and Musical Theory
- Learning to read simple rhythmic and pitch notation
- Understanding key symbols, patterns, and structures
- Revisiting key musical knowledge to embed long-term understanding
Lesson Structure
Each CUSP Music lesson follows a consistent format:
- Connect – Retrieval of prior knowledge and vocabulary
- Explain – Direct teaching of new content and techniques
- Example – Modelling and demonstration
- Attempt – Practical engagement in performance or composition
- Apply – Independent or group work
- Challenge – Reflection, evaluation, and extension
This approach supports progression in both technical skill and musical understanding.
Assessment and Progression
Pupil progress is assessed through:
- Observation and performance tasks
- Listening and appraising responses
- Use of musical vocabulary in discussion and writing
- Recordings of compositions and ensemble work
Assessment is formative, ensuring that teaching is adapted responsively and progress is secure over time.
The Impact
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are:
- Confident performers and expressive musicians
- Knowledgeable about music from a range of cultures and eras
- Able to discuss, analyse, and reflect on music using appropriate terminology
- Equipped with strong foundations for continued music education
Further Information
For:
- CUSP Music curriculum overviews
- Knowledge documents
- Performance opportunities and enrichment details
Please contact the CUSP team at cusp@unitysp.co.uk
