Music
Subject Leader – Miss Palacio
At St. Mary’s and St. Benedict’s Primary School, our high-quality Music curriculum aims to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum in an exciting and challenging way. We follow the National Curriculum objectives for Music and have adapted the curriculum to suit our needs as a school.
In Music children are encouraged to develop a number of skills which are often transferable across the curriculum.
The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:
Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
Learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence.
Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations
We use Charanga Musical School to enhance the teaching of Music from Reception to Year 6. The children explore musical genres each year during discreet music lessons but will also explore their music skills through topic and seasonal times of the year.
Our Music groups
Our Music specialist Miss Galea comes into school to teach guitar to any child whom wishes to sign up for guitar lessons. These children usually perform to the whole school at Christmas as well as performing at some of our monthly coffee mornings in the school hall.
Miss Bradley who is the choral director for the Diocese of Salford also comes in weekly to deliever singing lessons to the year 3 and 4 children, these children often lead singing during whole school mass as well as performing in church at Christmas with Miss Bradley and her children's choir. In 2025 some children also got to visit the Lowry Theatre in Manchester to help launch the Salford Songbook.
We also partner with Rocksteady Music School who come into school once a week and deliver fun and inclusive rock and pop band lessons, they are led by professional musicians. Children can sign up to these sessions and choose which instrument they would like to learn and create their very own band. At the end of each term the children perform a 'concert' for the whole school and parents.
The Blessing of the Crib and Christmas Nativity
Our Reception class perform ‘The Blessing of the Crib’ each year where children use the crib figures to deliver the Christmas message. The children sing a selection of Nativity songs and some children use instruments too. This year the children were recorded performing 'The Blessing of the Crib'. Well done to all the children in Barlow class for an excellent performance!
Our Key Stage 1 children perform a Christmas Nativity every year which tells us the story of Christmas through the use of acting, songs and dances.
Music Lessons
Learning to play an instrument requires practice and patience, but it is a very rewarding experience. There are many ways to take lessons and you can learn individually or in a group setting.
If you would like to take lessons after school, there are music centres within Lancashire that have individual tuition and beginner ensembles available. This is the link with information about music centres throughout the county and what they offer: https://www.lancashiremusichub.co.uk/site/parents/music-centres-and-groups/
Please stop by Miss Palacio's classroom with any questions you may have about starting music lessons. Alternatively, you can contact Mr. Christopher Cull, Head of the Preston Music Centre from the Lancashire Music Service, to enquire about lessons. His e-mail address is christopher.cull@lancashire.gov.uk
SEND Pupils
For further information on how we cater for the needs of SEND pupils, please visit our SEND page and refer to our SEND policy.