Music at Barham
Every child a musician
Music is at the heart of life at Barham. We want every child to experience the joy of making music and to see themselves as a musician.
From Reception to Year 6, pupils receive regular music teaching led by specialist teachers. Children learn to listen, sing, compose, play and perform, developing their musical knowledge and skills as they progress through the school.
Our aim is to nurture a lifelong love of music while helping every child become kind, confident and curious.
Kind, confident and curious through music
Kind
Children learn to listen to one another, work as part of an ensemble and appreciate music from different cultures, traditions and periods. They encourage each other and celebrate one another’s achievements.
Confident
Children develop the confidence to express themselves, learn an instrument and perform for different audiences. Performance opportunities range from informal classroom sharing to concerts, competitions, church services and full-scale musical productions.
Curious
Children explore different instruments, composers, genres and musical traditions. They improvise, compose and investigate how music is created, including through the use of music technology.
Our music curriculum
Music is taught throughout the school and includes:
- Weekly music lessons
- Regular whole-school singing
- Listening to a broad range of composers, musicians and musical styles
- Singing, composing, improvising and performing
- Learning about rhythm, pitch, notation and musical structure
- Opportunities to evaluate and improve performances
- The use of music technology in Key Stage 2
- Whole-class instrumental learning, including recorders in Year 3 and strings in Year 4
In Early Years, music is woven into children’s learning through singing, movement, listening and musical play. As pupils progress through the school, they develop increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression.
Music beyond the classroom
Our musical opportunities extend far beyond weekly lessons. Depending on the programme available each year, these include:
- Individual and small-group instrumental tuition
- Choir, band and instrumental clubs
- Young Musician of the Year
- Our annual inter-house music competition
- Spring music performances
- Talent shows and celebration assemblies
- Key Stage 1 Nativity performances
- Church services and community events
- An annual Key Stage 2 musical production
Collaborative events with other schools and musicians
Children have performed at venues including the Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury Cathedral, Broome Park and St John’s Church. We also work with Kent Music, local secondary schools and visiting professional musicians to broaden pupils’ musical experiences.
“Music at Barham is fun!”
Learning an instrument
Children can access tuition in a range of instruments, which may include piano, drums, guitar, flute, brass, violin and other orchestral instruments.
For current information about available lessons, costs and teachers, please contact the school office:
Telephone: 01227 831312
Email: office@barham.kent.sch.uk
Our commitment
We believe that musical opportunity should be available to every child. Whole-class instruments are provided by the school, and teaching is adapted so that pupils with different needs and starting points can participate successfully.
Music brings our school community together. It gives children opportunities to discover new talents, experience the excitement of performing and create memories that last well beyond their time at Barham.