Music

At Juniper Hill, we believe music should be joyful, practical and accessible to every child. Throughout their time with us, children regularly take part in singing, performing and listening activities. They learn a wide range of traditional and modern songs, and every child has the chance to perform in front of an audience at least once each year — whether in a concert or a Christmas production.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Our youngest learners explore music through play and hands‑on experiences. They are introduced to the basics of performing, improvising, composing and listening. Children enjoy singing together and use a variety of untuned percussion instruments as they begin to understand rhythm and pulse.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, children build on their musical understanding using their voices, glockenspiels and untuned percussion instruments. They create their own musical performances, experimenting with composition and improvisation, as well as performing well-known music and songs. Musical terms, such as rhythm, pulse and pitch, are reinforced at this point to develop children’s growing confidence with and understanding of key musical vocabulary.

Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2, children extend their musical knowledge further. Alongside continued work with voices and glockenspiels, pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 also have the exciting opportunity to learn to play the ocarina. They learn new terminology and they are introduced to simple musical notation.

African Drumming

A highlight of the music curriculum for many children is our African drumming sessions. Every year, each class takes part in up to six weeks of drumming lessons. By revisiting these skills annually, children can build on their learning and develop impressive rhythmic confidence over time.