Music

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The aims of the Music Curriculum at Clifford Bridge Academy are:

• To inspire in children a love of music and develop their interests and talents as musicians
• To develop children’s knowledge and appreciation of a diverse range of genres, traditions, musicians and composers
• To develop children’s skills in singing, improvising and composing, playing, performing and appreciating
• To build children’s knowledge and use of the language of music, including the interrelated dimensions of music.

Delivering the Music Curriculum at Clifford Bridge Academy:

In Early Years, the foundations of Music are taught holistically, with knowledge and skills woven into engaging topics that have been developed systematically to ensure progression. Children develop knowledge of different styles of music and learn to sing, play instruments and perform in a variety of contexts, including singing nursery rhymes and songs, playing percussion instruments and singing, playing and performing in a Christmas performance.

In Key Stage 1, Music is taught through termly music projects as part of the Thematic Curriculum, each focused on differing core disciplines of music. Children’s knowledge of the differing disciplines is built through projects including singing sea shanties and songs from musicals, and composing a local area soundscape and bhangra-style rhythms. Children develop their skills across the disciplines, including singing in unison, exploring rhythms on untuned instruments and expressing opinions.

In Key Stage 2, Music continues to be taught through termly music projects focused on the core disciplines of music. Children further their knowledge of the different disciplines through projects including appraising music from Brazil, composing digitally and singing songs from around the world. Children continue to develop their skills across the disciplines, including singing with clear diction, composing with layers of sound and explaining emotion and mood within music.

Across both Key Stages, children receive instrument tuition each term, building their technical skills as musicians. Each year group focuses on the introduction of a different musical instrument:

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6
Tuned/Untuned Percussion	Noodle Drumming	Djembe	Recorder	Ukulele	Keyboard

Music Development Plan

Music beyond the curriculum? Music enrichment?

Music is a massive part of what makes Clifford Bridge special. Beyond the music curriculum taught during the school day, there are opportunities for children to participate in musical activities after school, leading to performances at school and to audiences in the wider community.

Clifford’s Choir

Clifford have had a long history of having large and enthusiastic choirs and 2023-24 is no exception. Choir practice takes place after school on Thursdays and over 60 children from Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 come every week. There are no auditions for the choir – everyone can sing and everyone is welcome. While singing is fun in itself and is amazing for the children’s and teachers’ wellbeing, the choir is always working towards a range of performances. Each year Clifford’s Choir attends Young Voices at the NEC in Birmingham. This is an opportunity for children to sing as part of a massed children’s choir with 6000 other children alongside professional musicians to back them. Closer to home, they sang at Clifford’s 50th Anniversary School Fair, took part in Blue Coat School’s Black History Month concert and are returning to Blue Coat to sing with the choirs from Inspire to reprise some Young Voices favourites. At the end of year, they will be busy again, singing at Clifford’s Summer Music Extravaganza! 

Take It To The Bridge

Clifford Bridge are very lucky to have their own rock band, Take It To The Bridge’. The band began in 2014 and before long was playing in school assemblies every Friday as part of the celebration of children’s achievements in Clifford’s Merit Assembly. The band has gone from playing simple 2 chord songs, to playing rock and pop songs that all of the children at Clifford Bridge know. They have played at The Belgrade, The Coal Vaults, The Royal Spa Centre, The School Games Finals Opening Ceremony, Glastonbluey at Blue Coat School, as well as playing 4 schools in a day in their World Tour of Coventry!

Auditions are held each year in September; in 2024, a huge number of children auditioned to be in the band. Everyone who wanted to audition did so. We have drummers, bassists, pianists, guitarists and singers. Once children are in Take It To The Bridge, they can stay in the band until they leave Clifford Bridge. This enables the older children to mentor the younger ones, improving everyone’s musicianship. Ex-pupils often return to help too, passing on their knowledge to the next generation.

A band allows children to apply their musical skills in a real context and be part of something bigger; it is a shining example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

Here is a video covering from the bands first recording until now: 

Summer Music Extravaganza

At the end of every school year, we celebrate all of our children’s musical talents with our Summer Music Extravaganza. Not only do Clifford’s Choir and Take It To The Bridge take part, but children who learn musical instruments with our guitar and drums teacher Mr. Ingram and piano teacher Mrs. Leigh have the opportunity to play individually or as part of an ensemble to a live audience. Past pupils often return to perform too, giving current pupils the opportunity to see where music could take them when they leave Clifford Bridge. Clifford’s Staff always take part too; it is important that the children see their teachers being brave enough to perform too!