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“Let all that you do be done in love.” Corinthian 16:14
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Music

Our Vision for Music Learning

At The Minster Nursery and Infant School, our vision for the music curriculum is to cultivate a deep love of singing and music-making, empowering every child to express themselves emotionally and creatively. Singing is at the heart of our musical journey, serving as a powerful tool for both performance and self-expression. We are committed to helping children build a strong musical foundation through the development of listening, performance, and singing skills, supported by the ‘Voices Foundation’ scheme of work. Children have the opportunity to explore their ‘singing voice’ in both group and solo performances, complemented by body movement and instrument playing. By the time they leave our school, we aspire for each child to have developed a lifelong love for singing, opening doors to future musical exploration and growth.

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Music Curriculum Overview

We love to sing at The Minster Nursery and Infant School and we aim to develop the children’s confidence and enjoyment of singing and music making in every child. By using the scheme of work from ‘The Voices Foundation’, children are given the opportunity to develop their ‘singing voice’, in groups and solo performances, alongside body action and movement and the playing of instruments. We offer frequent opportunities for children to perform for their friends, teachers, and parents, such as in our cherished annual Christmas performances. By the end of their time at The Minster Nursery and Infant School, we hope that children will have fostered a long lasting love for singing and opened the door to a musical future.

In Nursery, children are immersed in music through singing, movement, and listening activities that help them develop pitch-matching skills, recognize patterns, and explore dynamics. Traditional nursery rhymes and vocal games build their confidence and communication skills. Music is a key tool to aid communication skills, reinforced language through well-chosen repertoire and listening skills are continually developed. In Reception, children build on these foundations with action songs, rhythm games, and activities that develop a sense of tempo and pitch, incorporating percussion instruments to enhance their learning.

In Year 1 students explore songs linked to class topics, expanding their understanding of rhythm, tempo, and dynamics through listening to music and developing their own performance skills in singing and playing percussion instruments.  They also learn to take on the role of a leader more within the sessions, developing a greater awareness of pitch and the use of their thinking voice.

In Year 2, children refine their vocal and instrumental skills, learning melodies on chime bars and building an understanding of musical structure. They are also introduced to the rhythm names and singing names and connect them to specific hand movements and stick notation.  Year 1 and 2 students also gather weekly for communal singing, celebrating the joy of music together during collective worships times and also termly when they sing together in the Christmas play and The Minster church services at Christingle and Easter.

How to Help at Home

Singing traditional songs is always a lovely way to engage musically with your child. This website offers a range of nursery rhymes to sing along with:

BBC Nursery songs and rhymes