Teaching Music at Pear Tree Mead Academy

At Pear Tree Mead Academy, music is taught through engaging, inclusive, and child-centred pedagogies designed to build confidence, creativity, and musical understanding for every learner.

Pedagogical Approaches

· Active, experiential learning: Children learn music by doing — singing, playing instruments, composing, and performing together.

· Singing-led instruction: Singing is central to lessons, helping children develop pitch, rhythm, memory, and teamwork skills.

· Progressive skill development: Teaching builds from listening and simple rhythmic work in Early Years and Key Stage 1, to composing, notation, and ensemble performance in Key Stage 2.

· Reflective learning: Children are encouraged to listen critically and make judgements about the quality and purpose of music.

 

Accessibility and Differentiation Strategies

· Adaptive teaching: Tasks are open-ended or set at varying levels of difficulty, so every child can achieve success at their level.

· Varied resources: Our scheme of work at PTM, Charanga, is an interactive resource that is delivered through the use of the interactive whiteboard which includes videos, games and visuals to support key skills such as composing, finding the rhythm and listening and appraising different pieces of music. Alongside this, a variety of instruments are available to support this learning. These approaches support the different learning needs across the school.

· Targeted support: When needed, classroom assistants provide individual or small-group help to ensure all pupils can participate fully.

· Formative assessment: Teachers continuously assess through observation, supported by Charanga’s teacher assessment documents.

 

Inclusion for SEND and Disadvantaged Pupils

 

· PTM is an inclusive school that ensures all children — including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged — have equal access to musical opportunities.

· Lessons are designed to be multi-sensory, using sound, movement, and visuals to aid understanding, such as finding the rhythm of a song being taught through matching a character's movements on screen.

· Growth Mindset and Zones of Regulation approaches support emotional awareness, self-belief, and resilience, helping children overcome barriers to learning. Music is a great way to practice resilience.

· Participation in group performances, workshops, and activities like the school choir and Rock Band builds confidence and social connection.

· Financial or social barriers are reduced through free opportunities, such as Year 5 ukulele lessons and school-funded Rock Band spaces.

· Charanga offers lessons specifically designed for children with additional needs. This combines building musical skills such as finding the rhythm with a more practical approach to learning. This is delivered during our KS1 Nurture group sessions and proves very popular.

 

Music opportunities at PTM:

Rock Band – We partner with Rocksteady Music School to deliver fun and inclusive rock and pop band lessons, right here at Pear Tree Mead! These weekly music lessons take place in school and are led by highly trained professional musicians who know how to inspire a love for music. It’s the perfect way for children to learn new musical skills, make friends and have fun, all whilst boosting confidence, wellbeing, social skills and academic achievement.

For more details on availability and cost, visit rocksteadymusicschool.com and find our school on the sign-up page or call 0330 113 0330.

 

                    

 

Ukulele – We are partnered with the Essex Music Hub, which allows us to have free Ukulele lessons delivered to our year 5 children in Spring term. The children enjoy developing the skills to begin to play the ukulele.

 

African drumming –

In the past, we have been invited to attend half-term after-school clubs at Passmores. The club started by having African drumming sessions. A small group of children attended and then took part in the Passmores show! We were really proud of them for performing in front of such a large audience.

 

Choir– Each year we create a choir of year 5 and 6 children. Every other year, Pear Tree Mead takes part in ‘Young Voices’, an exciting opportunity to perform alongside other schools at the O2 arena in London. The corresponding year, children will take part in other performance-based opportunities, such as carolling or joining with other choirs in the PCLC academy to perform for parents. This year, our choir is also going to be performing a song in sign language, a separate activity that we are thrilled to be offering to our choir group.

 

In essence: Music at Pear Tree Mead is taught through joyful, hands-on learning that nurtures every child’s ability, creativity, and confidence — ensuring inclusion, equality of access, and personal growth for all pupils.

Please see attached below the mus development plan