At St John's, we value music as a unique and powerful form of communication that can enrich children’s lives.

We believe that music has the power to improve mental health and wellbeing, whilst supporting academic achievement in the core subjects.

We encourage our children to participate in a range of musical experiences both within the classroom and collectively as a school.

Our aim is to provide a high quality music education that inspires pupils to develop a love of music, whilst increasing their self-confidence, creativity and sense of community. 

At St John’s, our music curriculum is built around three key strands:

• Listening & Appraising
• Performing
• Composing

Through our Listening & Appraising strand, children explore a wide range of musical styles and genres. They develop an understanding of music history through focused studies on key areas.

Each year, pupils build on their knowledge of the inter-related dimensions of music, including pitch, dynamics, tempo, texture, and timbre. Musical vocabulary is introduced progressively and used in lessons, enabling children to describe and discuss what they hear.

This structured approach ensures that musical understanding deepens year on year, supporting both practical skills and musical appreciation.

Performing

Singing is a central part of the musical life at St John’s. All children take part in weekly singing assemblies, where the focus is on singing for enjoyment as well as developing vocal technique. These sessions help foster a love of music and build a sense of community across the school.

In the classroom, pupils learn to perform using their voices and a variety of instruments, including unpitched percussion and glockenspiels. Our teaching follows the Charanga scheme of work, which provides a progressive, engaging music curriculum from Early Years through to Key Stage 2.

From Key Stage 2 onwards, children also have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument through lessons delivered by specialist teachers from Rock Steady, encouraging further musical development and performance skills.

As part of their regular music lessons, pupils are taught to improvise and compose their own music, working both individually and in groups. These creative experiences help to nurture imagination, expression, and collaboration.

Beyond the classroom, children can take part in extra-curricular musical activities. Our school choir regularly performs at community events, including the Twilight Trail at Forbury Gardens and working with Berkshire Music Trust, as part of a collaborative project with other local schools - providing valuable opportunities to share their talents and celebrate music together.