Music Curriculum and Schemes of Work
A music curriculum sets out what pupils learn in music at each stage. In England, music is a compulsory national curriculum subject from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 3 (ages 5–14) in maintained schools, covering singing, playing, composing, listening and reading notation. GCSE Music is optional at Key Stage 4. A scheme of work turns the curriculum into units of about six lessons.
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK music words (bar, crotchet, stave) and UK year groups; the US version uses measure, quarter note, staff and US grades. · US version of this page
Key facts
- Music is a statutory national curriculum subject in England for Key Stages 1 to 3 (ages 5–14) in maintained schools; academies must still teach a broad and balanced curriculum.
- The current programmes of study date from 2013. A revised national curriculum is due to be first taught from September 2028.
- The Model Music Curriculum (March 2021) is non-statutory guidance for Years 1–9 and suggests at least one hour of music a week at Key Stages 1 and 2.
- GCSE Music (Key Stage 4) is optional; in England it is about 30% performing, 30% composing and 40% listening and appraising.
- A scheme of work usually covers one half-term: about 6 lessons. A school year has 6 half-terms.
What is a music curriculum?
A music curriculum is the plan for what pupils learn in music, year by year: the songs and skills, reading and writing music, composing and performing, and listening and appraising. The national curriculum says what must be taught; a school’s curriculum sets the order of units and lessons.
| Stage | Status | What is taught | Classfern plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| EYFS (Nursery and Reception, ages 3–5) | Statutory early years framework; music sits in Expressive Arts and Design | Nursery rhymes and songs, moving to music, exploring sounds | EYFS and KS1 lesson plans · Nursery rhymes |
| Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2, ages 5–7) | Statutory national curriculum (maintained schools) | Singing songs and chants, playing tuned and untuned instruments, listening, experimenting with sounds | EYFS and KS1 lesson plans |
| Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6, ages 7–11) | Statutory national curriculum | Singing and playing in ensembles, improvising and composing, listening with attention, “staff and other musical notations”, music history | KS2 music curriculum and plans |
| Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9, ages 11–14) | Statutory national curriculum | Performing, composing with chords and structures, identifying the elements of music, listening to a wide range of music | KS3 music lesson plans |
| Key Stage 4 (Years 10–11, ages 14–16) | Optional: GCSE Music (or a vocational course) | Performing (about 30%), composing (about 30%) and a listening exam (about 40%) in England | GCSE Music · GCSE set works |
| Key Stage 5 (ages 16–18) | Optional: A level Music or Music Technology | Deeper performing, composing and analysis of set works | Music theory |
What is a music scheme of work?
A music scheme of work is a medium-term plan for a block of lessons, usually one half-term of about six lessons, on one topic such as pentatonic composing, film music or the blues. It sets out what pupils learn each week, the music and activities, and how progress is assessed.
- Long-term plan – the whole year: which units, in what order (see the map below).
- Medium-term plan (scheme of work) – one unit of about six lessons, week by week.
- Short-term plan – a single lesson, with timings (use the music lesson plan template).
A year-long music curriculum map
Classfern’s map has six units a year for four stages – 24 units in all. Each one builds on the year before: beat, pitch and rhythm first, then reading, ensembles and composing, then chords, structures and styles.
| Stage | Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | Unit 5 | Unit 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2) | Pulse and beat Find, show and keep a steady beat | High and low Hear and show pitch going up and down | Rhythm patterns Copy and read short rhythms | Sounds and instruments Explore how instruments make sounds (timbre) | Songs and singing games Sing a range of nursery rhymes and action songs | Our performance Perform songs with percussion to an audience |
| Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3–4) | Rounds and ostinatos Sing in parts and keep a repeated pattern | Reading notes Read the stave, lines and spaces, and note values | Pentatonic composing Compose with the five notes C D E G A | First recorder or glockenspiel Play simple tunes in a group | Music around the world Listen to and describe music from other cultures | Showcase Rehearse and perform as an ensemble |
| Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5–6) | Time signatures Feel and count 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 | Three-part singing Sing rounds and partner songs in three parts | Chords I, IV and V Play and hear the three main chords | Music that tells a story Use music to create a mood or character | Blues and jazz Hear and play the 12-bar blues | Leavers’ performance Perform and reflect on progress |
| Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9) | The elements of music Use the elements to describe what you hear | Keyboard and chords Play chord sequences using the primary chords | Film music Hear how film music uses leitmotifs | The blues Play the 12-bar blues with swung rhythm and a walking bass | Songwriting Write a song in verse–chorus form | World music Learn about music from another culture by playing it |
Music scheme of work builder
Pick a unit and press Make the scheme of work for a six-week plan with what pupils do each week, the Classfern tool to use and how each week is assessed. Print it or copy it into your planning.
The builder runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Sample scheme of work: Pentatonic composing (Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3–4))
Focus: Compose with the five notes C D E G A. This is what the builder makes for the unit chosen above.
| Week | Stage | What pupils do | Classfern tool | How it is assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Listen and explore | Listen: Pentatonic folk tunes. Talk about what you hear. Share the unit focus: Compose with the five notes C D E G A. | Tuned percussion tubes | Self-assessed |
| Week 2 | Learn the skill | Find C D E G A on tuned percussion. | Tuned percussion tubes | Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) |
| Week 3 | Practise | Improvise question-and-answer phrases. | Tuned percussion tubes | Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) |
| Week 4 | Create | Compose an eight-bar pentatonic piece in pairs. | Tuned percussion tubes | Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) |
| Week 5 | Refine and rehearse | Fix a phrase so it ends on C. Improve the work from week 4. | Tuned percussion tubes | Self-assessed |
| Week 6 | Perform and assess | Perform or share the work. Check progress against the unit focus. | Tuned percussion tubes | Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) |
How do you plan a primary music curriculum?
Plan a primary music curriculum around singing in every lesson, with six half-term units a year that build skills in order: pulse and pitch in Key Stage 1, then rhythm reading, rounds and a first instrument, then composing, chords and music from many cultures in Upper Key Stage 2. End each unit with a performance.
- Start from the statutory aims: the national curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2, with the Model Music Curriculum as a guide.
- Map six units a year so each skill comes back and grows (use the map above).
- Choose the repertoire: songs to sing, pieces to listen to and music from different traditions.
- Plan progression in notation: stick notation, then stave notation with crotchets and quavers, then longer notes and rests.
- Build in assessment at the end of each unit, using a performance and short listening checks.
Ready-made units are on the KS2 music curriculum page, with full lesson plans and a year-by-year map.
What should a good music curriculum include?
A good music curriculum includes regular singing, playing instruments, composing and improvising, listening to a wide range of music, and learning to read and write notation. It should build skills in a clear order, include music from many times and places, give every pupil the chance to perform, and check progress in ways that suit music.
Many schools also add whole-class instrumental lessons for a year or more, a choir or ensemble, and trips to live music. For pupils who want to go further, link the curriculum to exams: GCSE Music at Key Stage 4 and graded music exams (see music grades explained).
How do you assess a music curriculum?
Music is best assessed by listening and watching, not only by written tests. Classfern labels every activity with who judges it: Marked by Classfern (quizzes checked in the browser), Partly marked, Self-assessed, Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) and Evidence kept at home. A simple three-point rubric (secure, developing, not yet) for each unit focus works well.
Classfern’s free curriculum tools on lessonplanner.info follow the national curriculum in England and the Model Music Curriculum; they are Classfern’s own and are not published by the Department for Education. Classfern is not connected with or endorsed by the Department for Education or any exam board.
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