Music
Great Horwood School Music Development Plan 2025-2026
At Great Horwood Church of England School, we believe that music is a universal language that fosters creativity, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning. Our Music curriculum follows the National Curriculum and the Model Music Curriculum (2021), ensuring a broad and balanced approach that develops pupils’ skills, knowledge, and understanding as musicians. Using the Kapow music scheme, our teachers deliver high-quality lessons each week across Key Stages 1 and 2, with plans to extend all classes to one hour of music per week by 2025–2026. In the Early Years, children explore music through songs, rhymes, and hands-on instrument play. Key Stage 2 pupils will also have the opportunity to learn pitched instruments, with Years 3 and 4 learning recorder during 2025–2026. Alongside curriculum lessons, pupils enjoy weekly whole-school singing assemblies, peripatetic guitar lessons, and enrichment opportunities such as Jabadeo music and movement sessions, the Great Horwood Silver Band, and Stagecoach Buckingham. Our thriving musical community celebrates participation, performance, and the joy of making music together.
During the school year a range of exciting musical experiences are planned. Please see details below for our plans for 2025-2026. The full music development plan for 2025-2026 can be found below.
Autumn Term:
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Silver Band Concert ‘Proms in the Playground’
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Carol singing at the Great Horwood village hall. A special time to perform to members of the village community.
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Carol Singing at the school Christmas Fayre around the Christmas tree. A community sing-along for pupils, staff, and parents.
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EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) and Key Stage Nativity performance – An opportunity for our youngest pupils to tell the greatest story ever told to their parents and the rest of the school.
Spring Term:
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A visit from the Pantomime; An opportunity for the whole school to watch a pantomime and join in the songs, actions and dances.
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Candlemass and Easter services offer opportunities to perform poems and songs.
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Experience Easter concert – performed by the whole school choir and singing ensemble groups.
Summer Term:
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Guitar Ensemble concert – an opportunity for those having guitar lessons to showcase what they have been learning during the year.
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Silver Band Concert ‘Proms in the Playground’ - Great Horwood Village silver band perform a concert to the whole school an opportunity to learn about and listen to a wide range of brass instruments.
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Buckinghamshire Music Hub Schools Music Performance. An opportunity for the whole school to listen to an orchestra play and then sing some practiced songs whilst being accompanied by the performers.
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Hawthorns (Year 5 & 6) End of year production – an opportunity for year 5 and 6 to perform to the rest of the school a range of songs and movement.