Music Development Plan
Music Development Plan Summary
Overview
Academic year that this summary covers - 2025/2026
Date this summary was published - September 2025
Date this summary will be reviewed - June 2026
Name of the school music lead - Helen Hudson (maternity cover for Sarah Gill)
Name of local music hub - Sound!
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.
Part A: Curriculum music
This is about what we teach in lesson time, how much time is spent teaching music and any music qualifications or awards that pupils can achieve.
Our curriculum introduces children to music from all around the world and across generations, teaching children to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities. It allows progression and differentiation so that children of all abilities can access the Music curriculum and develop their skills in an enjoyable and inclusive way. The curriculum has been designed with both the Model Music Curriculum (2021) and National Plan for Music Education (2022) in mind. Full details of this can be found in our music module summaries.
At St John’s, we employ Charanga as our primary music scheme with lessons taught by school staff. Each year group rotates through a range of music modules on a half-termly basis. Pupils are provided with opportunities to sing, listen and appraise. There is emphasis on playing instruments, improvising and composing.
Pupils play a wide range of tuned and un-tuned instruments including, recorder, percussion, chime Bars, Singing, Boomwhackers.
We are part of Sefton Wider Opportunities with, as part of this scheme, all pupils in Year 5 learning a brass instrument for a year – taught by a specialist Sefton tutor.
Children have the opportunity to sing during weekly assemblies with Wednesday being a specific singing worship.
We also have a choir who regularly perform at local care homes and, as a school, we have participated in large event such as Young Voices or Sing4Sefton in recent years.
Part B: Extra-curricular music
This is about opportunities for pupils to sing and play music, outside of lesson time, including choirs, ensembles and bands, and how pupils can make progress in music beyond the core curriculum.
Our Curricular music lessons provide a foundation for learning an instrument in KS2. Year 5 learn to play a range of brass instruments and are signposted to ‘Brass Roots’ run by the Salvation Army or to Sefton’s Youth Band should they wish to continue learning beyond school
After school clubs that have been available for children have included singing and dance clubs – both run by school staff.
Part C: Musical experiences
This is about all the other musical events and opportunities that we organise, such as singing in assembly, concerts and shows, and trips to professional concerts.
Planned for the academic year we have many musical opportunities. These include:
Whole school assemblies where the children listen to a range of music as well as singing a range of songs.
Christmas, Easter and end of year performances. Reception will perform their Nativity and Year 1 hold an annual Carols by Candlelight concert.
Year 4 will be participating in ‘Sing for Sefton 2026’, at The Atkinson Theatre, Southport.
Year 5 generally form our choir and will visit two of our local care homes four times over the course of the year singing songs for residents.
Year 6 will be participating in the Wally Cain Dance Festival.
All classes from Years 1 – 6 will visit Church after the Wednesday Service to serve refreshments and perform (songs, hymns, poetry) to the congregation.
Once more we will have an annual concert where families are invited – for a small ticket fee helping to raise money for school funds. Previous themes for this concert have been colours, family members and countries; this year will be animals.
A visit from members of the Salvation Army Brass Band
Children in receipt of Pupil premium funding are supported where necessary to access any musical opportunities which require payment.
Part D: In the future
This is about what the school is planning for subsequent years.
Increase wider opportunities provision so that 2 classes learn a musical instrument.
Give opportunities for individual and/or small group musical tuition outside of lessons
To increase curriculum lessons to at least one hour each week of the school year for key stages 1 to 2.
Widen the genre of music performances from amateurs and professionals outside of St. John’s.
