Having the opportunity to study and explore music isn’t a privilege, it’s a vital part of a broad and balanced curriculum. – School Standards Minister Nick Gibb
At Gallions Primary School, we place a strong emphasis on the creative arts, particularly Music. Every child at Gallions receives a musical education above and beyond what is laid out in the National Curriculum. We understand the benefits of a musical education and our school is recognised for its pioneering approach.
In 2024 part of our whole school curriculum has been to write the lyrics and melody for our own school song. Find out how we did it in a special music edition of the Gallions Gazette.
Musicianship lessons
National Curriculum for Music at Gallions is taught not only through high quality projects, choirs and singing assemblies, but also through weekly musicianship classes and small group instrumental lessons. Children take part in musicianship lessons from nursery right up to Year 6 led by music specialists qualified in the Kodaly approach. This child centred approach aims to develop musical skills and teach musical concepts through practical activities rooted in song and movement.
Breadth and depth of experience are important to us with children given the opportunity to not only experience music of many different styles and times, but to engage with music technology and both perform and hear live music performed by all sorts of musicians in a variety of venues.
The Gallions String Programme
We also run an instrumental programme in which each child in the school learns a string instrument from the age of 6 until they leave Gallions aged 11. These lessons are taught in small groups using the child-centred Colourstrings method, which builds on the previous three years of musicianship classes and is itself rooted in the Kodaly approach.
We do not just teach Violin here, children are also able to choose to learn the Viola, Cello or Double Bass. Learning a string instrument has many benefits for the children; huge discipline is required, concentration improved and thinking skills and coordination developed as several different areas of the brain in use simultaneously whilst playing an instrument.
We have a number of extra-curricular music groups for the children to get involved with and there are concerts during each term for every child to showcase their hard work. We also take our choirs and orchestras out into the community with performances outside of school.
Recent performances have including performances at The London Stadium, The Tower of London and The Copperbox Arena.
We currently offer the following ensembles:
Junior Orchestra (Years 3 & 4)
Junior Choir (Years 3 & 4)
Senior Orchestra (Years 5 & 6)
Senior Choir (Years 5 & 6)
Bass Attack (an ensemble for cellos and basses)
KS1 choir
Additional lessons
After school lessons are open to any pupil who shows commitment to their instrumental learning. Children receiving additional tuition through the scheme are given their own instrument to take home to allow them to practice and attend other out-of-school musical activities. They have the opportunity to play regularly in ensembles with other promising students, perform publicly in exciting venues and work alongside professional musicians.
There are also a range of different music clubs available to the children including Ukulele, Drum kit, Music Production, Keyboard and Recorder clubs.
All of these regular musical activities take place in our wonderful purpose-built Music Centre. The dedicated teaching rooms for instrumental lessons and musicianship classes are also spaces in which our pupils can undertake extra practice sessions, ensemble rehearsals and performance opportunities.