Music
At Danesholme Academies, our music curriculum is designed so that every child will 'Be Ready':
Ready to Learn — We provide an engaging, knowledge-rich music curriculum that ignites curiosity and builds firm foundations in musical understanding. Children develop the readiness to listen, explore, question, and express themselves through sound, rhythm, and melody.
Ready for Life — Our music education goes beyond performance: we nurture creativity, resilience, and confidence. Through music-making and appreciation, children learn self-expression and teamwork, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities of their futures.
Ready to Contribute — Music fosters community and connection. Children learn to collaborate in ensembles, respect diverse musical traditions, and share their talents, contributing positively to their school, neighbourhood, and the wider world.
Ready to Succeed — Through high expectations, scaffolded support, and progressive development of musical skills and knowledge, every child is empowered to perform, compose, and appreciate music—ready for the next stage of their education and lifelong enjoyment of the arts.
Implementation
At Danesholme Junior Academy, our Music curriculum is designed to develop confident, creative and knowledgeable musicians through the use of the Primary Knowledge Curriculum scheme. Through singing, listening, composing, improvising and performing, pupils build a deep understanding of music whilst developing their ability to express themselves creatively. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure children progressively develop their musical skills, knowledge and understanding of the key elements of music, including pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture and harmony.
Children experience a wide range of musical styles, genres and traditions from across the world, helping them to appreciate the rich diversity of music and its role within different cultures and societies. Through regular opportunities to perform, reflect and work collaboratively, pupils develop confidence, resilience and a lifelong appreciation of music. Lessons are built around active musical experiences, ensuring that knowledge is developed through practical music-making rather than simply learning facts about music.
Our Music curriculum strongly supports the Danesholme KRR values of Kind, Ready and Respectful. Children demonstrate kindness by supporting and encouraging one another during performances and group work, readiness by developing the discipline and perseverance needed to practise and improve, and respect by valuing different musical traditions, cultures and the contributions of others.
Where appropriate, links are made to the local area and wider community, providing opportunities for children to share their musical learning through performances and celebrations. Children are encouraged to recognise how music brings people together, strengthens communities and enriches both individual lives and cultural identity.
To enhance the PKC Music curriculum, we work alongside Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust.
We offer parapetic music lessons for pupils as extracurricular opportunities.
We have a very popular choir who performs in the academy and in the community regularly.
By the time pupils leave Danesholme Infant Academy, they will have developed the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in and enjoy music, whilst understanding its importance as a form of expression, communication and cultural heritage.
Please see the full implementation below.
Impact