Music at Tadley Primary

Music is at the heart of Tadley Primary School.  Children have opportunities to participate in a wide variety of extra-curricular music activities and instrumental lessons as well as weekly music lessons within classes.  Last year, we were awarded a Music Mark award in recognition of our commitment to providing pupils with an engaging high-quality music education.  Our dedication to offering and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum is of great importance to us.  In addition, we were awarded fifth place in the Hampshire Music Services Chairman’s Year of Music Award Scheme for the music education opportunities we provide.

Our music clubs include:-

Samba Band

Ukulele Club

Recorder Club

M/C Singers (Key Stage 1)

Key Stage 2 Choir

We believe in giving every child the opportunity to participate in music and currently we have over 150 children participating in music clubs and instrumental/vocal lessons.  Our ensemble groups perform in regional and national music events, local community events as well as our own school Harvest, Easter and Christmas Assemblies and termly concerts.  Last year, our Samba Band performed at the Royal Albert Hall and our Key Stage 2 Choir perform several times throughout the year at the Anvil in addition to annual performances at the O2 Arena or Wembley.

We have enjoyed building links and performing with local community music groups.  Our Ukulele Club enjoy meeting with the U3A (University of the Third Age) Ukulele Group, sharing their love of music and playing.   Our Key Stage 2 Choir have performed with the Kingsclere Singers and Tadley Singers in local concerts and our Recorder Club have taken part in an annual Recorder Jamboree in Thornden Hall.  In the summer term, our Samba Band will be processing in the Old Basing Carnival.

Singing is a very important part of the music curriculum and each Key Stage take part in a singing assembly once a week.  In the singing assemblies, children prepare cantatas and songs for festivals, church services, class musicals, nativities, concerts and other events throughout the year and we enjoy sharing our performances with parents/carers and our local community.

We have visiting instrumental teachers at the school for children who would like to learn an instrument.  Rock Steady visits our school for a day each week to give ensemble lessons on drum kit, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard and voice.  In addition we have visiting piano, violin, vocal, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, drum kit and tuned-percussion teachers who teach children from Year R to Year 6.  Many of our children follow the Associated Board Royal School of Music and Rock School examinations to celebrate their musical journeys and some also celebrate their enjoyment of playing by participating in the Basingstoke Music Festival.

Every year group participate in a music lesson once a week and take part in composing and performing activities which are often linked to their curriculum topics.  Our specialist music room has sets of tuned and untuned percussion instruments and a drum kit.  We also have a number of woodwind instruments, violins, guitars, keyboards and ukuleles which we allow students to loan when they first begin musical instrument lessons.  In Key Stage 2, we encourage children to bring in their own instruments to use in their class music lessons. 

Music is a very important part of our school ethos and we believe it has huge potential for supporting all areas of children’s academic and social development.  We celebrate and support all our children’s musical achievements and the enjoyment that they have in participating.