Music

This is a summary of how our school delivers music education to all our pupils across three areas – curriculum music, co-curricular provision and musical experiences – and what changes we are planning in future years. This information is to help pupils and parents or carers understand what our school offers and who we work with to support our pupils’ music education.

 

At Staplehurst School, we believe all our pupils have the potential ability to develop a love and skill for music through a high-quality music education. We ensure that they all have the opportunity to engage in music lessons and musical activities which result in high quality outcomes and progression. As our pupils move through our school, we encourage them to build on their confidence and expertise, develop an appreciation and enjoyment of music and a sense of achievement.

We enable this through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres, in line with the National Curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to listen to classical music such as Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, rock n roll songs from Little Richard and Elvis Presley, jazz from Nina Simone to Chris Barber, modern classics such as Queen - and much more.

At Staplehurst School, we are committed to ensuring children also understand the benefits and significance of music in the wider community and to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in a diverse range of musical activities and opportunities. We offer musical clubs, trips to musical experiences and invite performers in to school. Each year, the choir attends an educational visit such as a trip to the English National Opera Discovery Day or Young Voices Concert at the 02 and we involve ourselves in the local community by visiting local care homes to entertain the residents.

We implement our vision through teaching music discretely, following the Charanga scheme of work, providing weekly Singing Assemblies and additionally, giving children the opportunity to perform in various concerts, productions and festivals throughout the year.

Our pupils also experience the joy of achievement and reward in their music-making and the benefit on their mental health. They improve their self-confidence through creative learning, using a range of social skills, ensemble playing, and a willingness to reflect upon and to criticise their experiences.

 

We offer individual, paired and group instrumental lessons, which are taught by visiting peripatetic staff. We currently have teachers that can teach singing, guitar, ukulele and piano.

Here at Staplehurst, we believe that the opportunity to experience music should be available to every child, regardless of race, gender, class, disability or ability. Through our music curriculum, we strive to teach children the value of social and cultural diversity.

 

 

Detail	Information
Academic year that this summary covers	2025-26
Date this summary was published	September 2025
Date this summary will be reviewed	September 2026
Name of the school music lead	Mrs Seal
Name of school leadership team member with responsibility for music (if different)
Name of local music hub	Kent Music
Name of other music education organisation(s) (if partnership in place)	Music Mark

Part A: Curriculum music

 

Currently for EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, we follow Charanga for our class music lessons. https://www.kentinteractivemusic.co.uk/

This is delivered every week in EYFS and KS1 and every other week in Key Stage 2. We aim for a total of 1 hour a week of music education, which includes a weekly Singing Assembly, where the children separate into their Key Stages. At these assemblies, the children are played a variety of music from different genres to extend their knowledge and listening opportunities.

As per the recommendations of the Model Music Curriculum (March 2021), pupils in Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to play recorders and ukuleles, for two complete terms, through whole- class ensemble teaching.

We liaise closely with our local music hub, Kent Music, who have recently been successful in their bid to become the Lead organisation for the new Kent and Medway Music Hub. We have been working on our Second Order Progression Plan over the last academic year through their bespoke support offer. They also provided CPD for our staff 2 years ago, as did our Music Specialist Teacher.

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We have been selected to be a Music Mark School for three years running and are proud of the achievement. They have recognised the value that we place on music and of that we are immensely proud.

 

Part B: Extra-curricular music

We currently offer individual piano, singing, guitar, ukulele and drum lessons with the Andrew Parry Music school https://www.andrewparrymusic.com/ and our Music Lead Teacher. These are charged per half hour lesson and run on a rota basis, during lesson time and lunchtimes. Instruments can be loaned from Kent Music or Andrew Parry. Other instruments can be offered and funding sought from Kent Music for those who are Pupil Premium. Pupils can work towards ABRSM examinations or play simply for enjoyment.

We offer recorder clubs (years 2-6) and choir (years 4-6) which are all free to join and provide lots of opportunity for pupils to perform to adults and their peers.

We are fortunate to have several music areas, with lots of space to rehearse, have lessons in and perform. There is a vast selection of percussion and tuned instruments in school including djembe drums, pianos and keyboards, recorders (of all sizes) guitars and ukuleles.

At the school on a Saturday morning, Staplehurst Music Centre (an independent village music school) run a range of individual instrumental lessons and ensemble opportunities, including a rock band and chamber group.

Kent Music, our local Music Hub also have opportunities for lessons and ensembles outside school. During school holidays, there are musical projects to get involved with such as Orchestra One and if needed we can seek their advice for making sure our music curriculum is inclusive to all, with adapted instruments for aspiring young musicians who may need them.

Part C: Musical experiences

Children at Staplehurst have a vast array of musical opportunities. Singing Assemblies are held weekly and in Key Stage groups, and individual instrumentalists often request to perform to their peers during these occasions. Once a term, we aim to have a shared Singing experience where KS1 can perform songs to KS2 and vice versa.

Year groups assemblies to parents are held every year and classes sing songs they have been learning, accompanied by instruments and movement. Individuals and small groups often choose to perform at these too.

At Christmas, EYFS perform a Nativity including singing, KS1 perform a musical play with a Christmas theme and KS2 perform a Celebratory concert to their parents and special guests. This includes class songs and again, individual and group items. The choir also enjoy entertaining local groups.

Two years ago, we reinstated our Spring Concert, giving more performance opportunities to children in KS2 whether that was individually or in current or newly formed groups, specifically for the occasion. Our peripatetic teachers helped to rehearse one such group which included a child who had never played keyboard before but who wanted to play in a band!

At the beginning of Autumn, the Andrew Parry Music School teachers entertain during assembly, and this always encourages more children to learn to play instruments. We currently have a high percentage of children in the school, enthusiastic to participate in Musical activities.

For many years, our choir have been to the 02 to take part in Young Voices, a magical experience singing with 8000 other children accompanied by live music from a professional band. There have also been rap artists, street dancers and well- known singers performing. This trip has been subsidised by school for all concerned.

In the future

We have now completed our Second Order Progression Plan and are currently planning a timetable of musical enrichment opportunities for all year groups. This will include more performances at school from a wide variety of musicians, who play different styles of music. This year’s enrichment includes a trip to the English National Opera and Djembe drumming workshops for every class.