At SWINS, we use a musical programme called Charanga with our Reception and KS1 children which provides teachers with weekly lessons, assessment, progression, and engaging and exciting resources to support all the requirements of the EYFs and National curriculum.

In line with the curriculum for music and guidance from Ofsted, this scheme moves away from the previous levels and learning objective/outcome concepts to an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning.

Ofsted have stated that “We will not always know the learning outcomes”, so segregated learning objectives at the start of each lesson are not appropriate. Instead the interrelated dimensions of music weave through the units to encourage the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing.

The scheme comprises of units based on strands of musical learning which correspond with the national curriculum for music: listening and appraising; musical activities; warm-up games; optional flexible games; singing; playing instruments; improvisation; composition and performing.

In the Nursery class children have music weaved through their day with regular opportunities to join in songs and rhymes and listen to a range of musical genres.  They have sessions within the play based provision, as well as those and delivered by the staff to explore making sounds with instruments and how to make changes to the sounds they make in how they play.  They begin to develop the understanding of the interrelated dimensions of musical skills that spirals throughout the whole school curriculum.