Music

At St John the Evangelist Primary School, our Music Curriculum is designed to enable every child to access, achieve and enjoy music. We believe that all pupils have the innate ability to be creative and aim to foster an appreciation of music in all of its forms, inspiring an interest and curiosity in a range of musical styles and traditions, and to use music as a way to learn about other cultures.  

Our ambition is to teach music using a thematic and enjoyable approach, alongside other areas of the curriculum. Each base’s lessons build on previous learning, promoting a love of singing and performing in an experiential and practical way.    

Opportunities to demonstrate their love of music and showcase their skills are built into the scheme, with regular chances to create, play, perform and enjoy music both in class and to an audience. Through assemblies, concerts and key stage performances children are able to express their emotions and showcase their understanding of how to perform with awareness of others.  

Through appraisal, composing and performance, we endeavour to inspire children to find music that moves them, so that they will continue to take joy from it throughout their lives.  

In class: 

We provide whole class music lessons taught by a music specialist in each Key Stage for 30 minutes each week. There is also a bespoke Listening Curriculum taught across the school as part of whole school assembly time (20 minutes a week) which runs chronologically through the ages.  

Whole class ensemble teaching takes place for every child in the school as part of the curriculum for a minimum of one whole term (10 weeks). The current offer is Boomwhacker (Reception), Percussion (Year 1 & 2), Ukulele (Year 3), Glockenspiel (Year 3 & 4), Keyboard (Year 5 & 6), all taught by our music specialist. 

As a finale to the whole class instrumental teaching sessions, we have a concert or performance experience, making use of our hall and outside stage.  

Singing takes place for all pupils as part of a Worship Praise assembly and during each communal worship (three times a week), in addition to technique and skills building in lessons.  

Small group and one-to-one music lessons are also offered in a variety of instruments currently including violin, guitar, clarinet, flute and ukulele in collaboration with West of England Music and Arts hub peripatetic staff who offer a programme of lessons on a weekly basis. 

Performing: 

Pupils are encouraged to join our Key Stage 2 Performance Choir which meets weekly as a free after school club and offers the opportunity to perform at local festivals (such as Christchurch Christmas Tree Festival) and as part of community collaborations. Last year’s KS1 Training Choir has fed into this year’s KS2 Choir.  

Our bespoke St John’s Lions Brass4Youth starter band is in its third year and offers pupils a chance to learn a brass instrument as part of an ensemble, for free. Children then move up into the Training Band and have the opportunity to progress into the Junior and Youth Band. SEND pupils are signposted to join regular free holiday music courses run by West of England Music.  

All pupils perform as part of our Christmas celebrations, including a Nativity show, concert or festive worship with our local church St John the Evangelist, Clevedon. In the summer, Year 1 & 2 pupils took part in the Hear My Voice Singing Festival, collaborating with other local primary schools and performing together. Pupils also get to experience the thrill of a live concert, with musicians invited into our school to perform. Last year we had a classical guitarist; this year we have been fortunate to have a brass specialist perform alongside our own pupils who are part of the St John’s Lions Brass4Youth band. Year 4 children take part in an annual Instrumental Workshop in collaboration with WEMA music hub. This has included Brazilian Samba, Taiko Drumming and Caribbean Steel Pans.  

Enrichment: 

Clevedon School’s Year 12 Enrichment Band performs for the whole school on an annual basis. Our ongoing collaboration with Clevedon School also includes a Year 5 & 6 singing workshop and a Year 6 Transition Band workshop. We also offer our Year 6 pupils the chance to be part of our annual summer show – in 2023 it was The Lion King and in 2024 it was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. This gives our children the chance to be part of a full musical production, be it on the stage or behind the scenes as a part of the technical and backstage crew. It’s a highlight of their time at St John’s and a fantastic climax to their musical and performance experience here. 

 We want children at St John’s to have confidence, skill and pride in their music making. They leave us with the knowledge and ability to try new instruments, join groups and choirs and to continue their musical journey. Many of our former pupils have gone on to make their mark in the music departments at secondary school. At Clevedon School, the bands, choirs and dance troupes are populated by our alumni. Every year they star in fantastic musical productions (such as Grease and Footloose) and we are thrilled and proud that their love of music, in all of its forms, began here.  

 Please see our Music Development Plan here