Music intent:

At Holy Cross, our intent for music education is to inspire all pupils to develop a lifelong love of music and to experience the joy that music brings to learning, self-expression, and community. We aim to provide every child with opportunities to listen to, perform, compose, and appreciate music from a wide range of styles, cultures, and traditions. Rooted in our Catholic ethos, we aim to use music as a means of celebrating our faith, expressing our shared values, and strengthening our sense of community.

Through a broad and engaging music curriculum, we seek to:

• Foster a lifelong love and appreciation of music in all its forms.
• Encourage self-expression, collaboration, and confidence through singing, performing, and composing.
• Provide opportunities for pupils to share their musical gifts within the school, parish, and wider community.
• Celebrate diversity by exploring music from different cultures and traditions, reflecting our global Church.
• Build confidence, collaboration, and self-discipline through group performance and ensemble work.
• Encourage creativity and imagination through composing and improvising.
   

Our intent is that every pupil leaves Holy Cross with the skills, confidence, and enthusiasm to enjoy and participate in music throughout their lives.

Implementation:
At Holy Cross we follow the Oak National Academy Music Curriculum to ensure a clear, progressive, and inclusive approach to music education across all year groups. The curriculum provides a carefully sequenced programme that builds pupils’ musical knowledge, understanding, and skills through practical and engaging activities. Each unit develops core elements of music:

• Developing our singing voice
• Playing together in an ensemble
• Practising and preparing for a performance
• Creating, composing and improving
• Notating and sharing music
• Music over time and in different places
   

Impact:

The implementation of the Oak Academy Music Scheme will strengthen the quality and consistency of music education across our school by providing a coherent, well-sequenced curriculum that supports both teacher confidence and pupil progress. Key impacts include:

• Improved curriculum coherence with clear progression in musical skills and knowledge.
• Increased teacher confidence through high-quality modelling and structured resources.
• Greater pupil engagement and enjoyment, including enhanced participation and use of musical vocabulary.
• Better support for all learners, including SEND pupils, through accessible and adaptable materials.
• More accurate assessment of progress using clear learning outcomes and opportunities for formative assessment.
• Enhanced cultural capital through exposure to a diverse range of musical genres and traditions.
   

Music Assessment and tracking:

Teachers are required to save evidence of the work that takes place in the classroom, both as video folders, but also in the floor book so that it is clear what the progression of skills are and whether the children are working towards, meeting or exceeding these expectations.