Music Curriculum Progression
Please note: This is a new curriculum so there may be minor modifications to the content as the year progresses.
KS1
Using voices
expressively &
creatively.
Playing tuned &
untuned
instruments
musically.
KS2
Year 1
Year 2
Children sing
together as a
whole class.
Children sing
together as a
whole class.
Children sing in
smaller groups
and alternate
different sections
of a song.
Children sing in
smaller groups
and on their own
when confident
enough.
Children add
actions to their
songs.
Children sing
more
expressively
paying attention
to aspects such
as dynamics and
articulation.
Children are
encouraged to
play instruments
with a steady
pulse.
Children learn to
play rhythms that
Children
continue to
develop skills of
Y1.
Children
rehearse &
evaluate their
Year3
Performing in
solo &
ensemble
contexts.
Children continue
singing songs.
Children focus on
singing and
playing more
expressively by
paying more
attention to
dynamics and
articulation.
Children also
start to play
pieces where
there is more
than one layer,
requiring them to
hold their own
part against a
contrasting one.
Improvising &
composing
music.
Children should
gradually show a
greater control
and
sophistication in
selecting and
combining
sounds and
Year 4
Children have
various
opportunities to
perform both
vocal and
instrumental
music.
Children learn to
sing in two part
harmony and
concentrate on
refining their
singing skills by
improving diction
and expression.
Continue to
show a greater
control and
sophistication in
selecting and
combining
sounds and
musical phrases.
Year 5
Continue to
practise singing
in two part
harmony and
aim to sing more
expressively.
Develop melodic
playing, learning
to play melodies
fluently and
accurately.
Develop ability
to compose
effective
melodies and
start to think
about using
harmony in their
pieces.
Year 6
Continue to
practise singing
in two part
harmony and
refine singing
skills by
improving their
diction,
expression and
articulation.
Continue to play
more complex
pieces that
include a
number of
layers.
Learn to perform
more
complicated
rhythms and
practise playing
melodies.
Continue to
show a greater
control and
sophistication in
selecting and
combining
sounds and
musical phrases.
incorporate
beats & rests &
play very simple
melodies.
Children learn to
play music as
part of a group,
where they have
to listen to each
other & take
turns to
contribute at the
appropriate
point.
Listening with
concentration &
understanding.
Children listen
and respond to
recorded music
through
movement.
Children
continue to
develop their
movements
which should
reflect the pulse
and character of
the music.
own playing.
Children
continue to learn
to play music as
part of a group,
where they have
to listen to each
other and take
turns to
contribute at the
appropriate
points.
Children listen
and respond to
recorded music
through painting
& drawing.
Children listen to
and evaluate
their own
compositions.
Music Curriculum Progression
musical phrases.
Children are
given further
opportunities to
explore
composing with
music
technology.
Pay closer
attention to the
purpose of a
composition and
make musical
decisions that
help to fulfil that
purpose.
Evaluate their
own
compositions in
order to improve
their work.
Listening with
attention to
detail.
Continue to listen
to recorded
extracts of music
and respond
through verbal
responses.
Children are
encouraged to
find words and
phrases to
describe music,
building on their
technical
vocabulary and
give reasons for
Analyse
recorded
extracts of music
through verbal
responses.
Continue to
develop
technical
vocabulary
to describe the
music they hear.
Listen to and
evaluate their
own
Explore
composing with
music
technology.
Continue to
evaluate in order
to improve their
work.
Develop ability
to compose
effective
melodies and
start to think
about using
harmony in their
pieces.
Learn how to
structure
compositions
into contrasting
sections and pay
more attention to
using the
different
dimensions
effectively as
they compose.
Continue to
listen to
recorded
extracts of music
and analyse
them through
verbal
responses.
Continue to
listen to
recorded
extracts of music
and analyse
them through
verbal
responses.
Continue to build
up technical
vocabulary.
Continue to build
up technical
vocabulary.
Continue to
listen to and
evaluate their
Continue to
listen to and
evaluate their
Music Curriculum Progression
choices.
Continue to listen
to and evaluate
their own
compositions.
Creating,
selecting &
combining
sounds.
Select and
combine short,
individual
sounds.
Developing skills
to select and
structure
sounds.
Combine sounds
together to
create more
musical phrases
such as short
melodies or
rhythm patterns.
Children include
beginnings,
middles and
endsings to their
compositions.
Evaluate their
own
compositions,
learning how to
improve their
work in the
future.
Appreciating
&
understanding
a wide range
of music &
develop a
familiarity
with the
history of
music.
Children should
begin to increase
their
understanding of
different types of
music, including
the
characteristics
that identify
different genres
or styles.
compositions
and describe
which bits are
most successful
and which parts
need more work.
own
compositions.
own
compositions.
Children
continue to
increase their
understanding of
different types of
music and
identify different
genres or styles.
Continue to
increase
understanding of
different types of
music and
identify different
genres or styles.
Continue to
increase
understanding of
different types of
music and
identify different
genres or styles.
Consolidate
understanding of
how music has
changed over
time.
Consolidate
understanding of
how music has
changed over
time.
Recognise some
of the musical
differences
between pieces
from contrasting
periods.
Recognise some
of the musical
differences
between pieces
from contrasting
periods.
Consolidate
understanding of
how music has
changed over
time.