Hello! I just wanted to clarify for people who are unsure, that if you buy Active Music now, or are currently using it, it will still be fully in line with the NEW Music National Curriculum in 2014.

Active Music covers the MUSICAL SKILLS element of the Music National Curriculum:

The 2014 Curriculum for Key Stage 1 states that:

Pupils should be taught to:

• Use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
• Play tuned and unturned instruments musically
• experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music

We cover all of these in Key Stage 1.  Because we are focused on the specific music-making skills we do not cover the listening element or the ICT element, although many skills learnt within Active Music can be transferred to ICT.

The 2014 Curriculum for Key Stage 2 states that:

Pupils should be taught to:

• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression.
• improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
• Use and understand (staff and) other musical notations

We cover all of these in Key Stage 2.  Again, because we are focused on the specific music-making skills we do not cover the listening element, the historical element or the ICT element, although many skills learnt within Active Music can be transferred to ICT.

Additions to Active Music with the New 2014 Curriculum will include activities to teach staff notation, which is not a requirement of the current National Curriculum.  These will be extensions of current lesson plans.

I hope this is helpful and gives you clarity.  Any questions, please phone me on 07963 431405 or email me at office@primarymusicspecialist.com.

Best wishes,  Sally…