Music

Vision

Music is a core part of life at Ryders Hayes. We believe music is a universal language that allows children to express themselves, grow in confidence, and discover their creative talents. We are proud to offer every child a rich variety of high-quality musical experiences—from their very first steps in Nursery right through to Year 6 to create a lifelong love of music.

Curriculum Drivers

Our music learning is built around four key values:

Explore: We spark curiosity by encouraging children to sing, compose, improvise, play, and listen to music from all over the world.
Play: We give children hands-on access to a wide variety of instruments from different cultures and traditions.
Develop: We help every child build their musical skills step-by-step and feel proud to share their ideas with others.
Link: We inspire children to discover where music can take them, supporting anyone who wants to pursue learning an instrument further.

Intent

Through our music curriculum, we aim to ensure every child:

Enjoys Rich Experiences: Receives a stimulating, high-quality music education both in the classroom and through extra-curricular activities.
Appreciates Diversity: Develops positive attitudes toward different styles of music and cultures from around the world across history.
Grows in Confidence: Builds communication, teamwork, and social skills by making music alongside their peers.
Experiences Live Music: Regularly watches and participates in live performances, learning to be both a confident performer and a respectful audience member.

Implementation (How We Teach & Experience Music)

We bring music to life through some specialist teaching, digital tools, extra-curricular clubs, and exciting live events.

In the Classroom

Specialist Teaching: Every year group receives regular music lessons taught by specialist music teachers—ranging from 20 minutes in EYFS up to an hour in Key Stage 2.
Interactive Learning: We use Charanga, an engaging digital music program that makes learning fun, practical, and accessible for every child.
Hands-on Instruments: Children play a wide range of instruments, including percussion and boomwhackers in EYFS/KS1, moving on to recorders, ukuleles, djembes, samba drums, brass, and woodwind in KS2 (supported by the Walsall Music Hub).

Beyond the Classroom

Clubs & Instrumental Lessons: We offer free school choir and band opportunities, as well as small-group lessons in violin, keyboard, woodwind, and brass. Around 25% of our pupils currently learn an instrument!
Recognised Qualifications: Children can work toward graded music awards (ABRSM, Trinity, and Trinity Certificates in Musical Development for children with SEND).
Invasive & Fair Access: We provide free instrument loans and fully funded lessons for Pupil Premium–eligible pupils so financial background is never a barrier.
Performances & Live Events: From weekly joint singing assemblies and seasonal concerts to annual nativity shows, Year 6 musical productions, and visits from professional musicians (including the Walsall Music Hub and Birmingham Hippodrome), our pupils perform regularly.

Intended Impact (Looking Ahead & Awe)

Music at Ryders Hayes brings a sense of awe and wonder to our school community. By connecting through song and sound, our pupils grow into well-rounded, respectful, and creative individuals who value global traditions and take pride in their achievements.

What's Next for Our Music Provision

We are constantly growing our musical opportunities. Moving forward, we are:

Launching a brand-new Key Stage 1 Choir so our younger pupils can experience the joy of group singing even earlier.
Creating more community performance events where families can come together and celebrate live music with our pupils.

Useful LInks:

Charanga

https://charanga.com/site/log-in

Brass Group

https://martinorgill.wixsite.com/brass

Choir

Google classroom joining code: 5x3sd5v

Guidance

At Ryders Hayes all pupils from Reception to Year 6 have a weekly music lesson. Our bespoke curriculum is aligned to the New National Plan for Music Education, June 2022, with plans for partnerships with Walsall Music Education Hub and Services, the music and creative sector.

This bespoke music curriculum offers an opportunity for all children to progress through and beyond the National Curriculum objectives, built firmly upon the research and pedagogy of the Kodàly method. Through the use of the 3P model (Prepare, Present, Practice), all children fully experience music before deepening their understanding and skill-set to achieve mastery, thus empowering children with the cultural capital they need and the social mobility we strive to mobilise as a school.

This inclusive model allows all children to access all modules, but challenges the more able through purposeful planning, questioning and further opportunities. This music curriculum stretches beyond the music room, making links between musical learning and learning in the wider curriculum, and is consolidated through singing assemblies, extra-curricular opportunities, trips and visits, and class activities led by the class teacher.

The Music Department is very well resourced and instruments available for use in lessons include recorders, glockenspiels, ukuleles and the newly launched pBuzz as well as a large selection of percussion and world music instruments.

As part of the Music Curriculum pupils are able to access the nationally recognised qualifications of Arts Award ‘Discover’ and ‘Explore’.

In Year 5 all pupils have the opportunity to learn an orchestral instrument (trombone, trumpet or clarinet) free of charge as part of their whole class music lesson.

Music Guidance

Music Development Plan

Instrumental Lessons

Extra-Curricular Activities

Currently at Ryders Hayes we offer Junior Choir for KS1 pupils, Senior Choir for KS2 pupils and Ryders Band for those pupils learning an instrument. We also have a Ukulele Club catering for pupils from Year 4-6. These groups are non-selective and are open to all. They meet on a weekly basis and have regular performance opportunities throughout the year both in and out of school.

Ryders Hayes have strong partnerships with several outside organisations and pupils regularly have the chance to participate in workshops, both choral and instrumental with our local Music Education Hub, Forest Arts. Pupils have also participated in outreach programmes with Lichfield Cathedral through the Music Share scheme. We have links with local schools and churches and in the local community and regularly are seen performing at events. Our choirs have performed on their own and as part of massed choirs with other pupils in the Midlands.

Instrumentalists can also access high quality area ensembles ran by the local Music Education Hub, Forest Arts. We are also further developing links between our school band and Shire Oak Music Department who will be working with us on workshops and concerts.

We have more than 60 number of pupils opting to learn an instrument at Ryders Hayes. Currently we have pupils learning flute, clarinet, trumpet, cornet, trombone, piano and violin. They have a weekly lesson on their chosen instrument and have the opportunity to work towards external examinations if they so wish, from highly skilled specialist musicians, with numeracy opportunities for performance. Examinations boards used are ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) and Trinity College, London.

We fully support Pupil Premium Children to learn an instrument with our free instrument loan scheme and free lessons as we believe that circumstances should not create a barrier to musical learning.

Pupils who learn an instrument have regular opportunities to perform at school, in the community and in other venues and play alongside other musicians.

Music Development Plan