Music

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Music is an integral part of life at Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and plays an important role in enriching children's spiritual, cultural and creative development. Children participate in weekly music lessons delivered by a specialist music teacher from the Tower Hamlets Arts and Music Education Service (THAMES). Through these lessons, pupils develop their understanding of the National Curriculum for Music through performing, composing, listening and appraising across a range of musical genres and traditions. Where appropriate, learning is meaningfully linked to the wider curriculum, enabling children to make connections between music and their learning in other subject areas.

We are committed to ensuring that music is accessible to all learners. Adaptive teaching is at the heart of our music provision, with lessons carefully planned to meet the needs of all pupils and enable every child to participate, succeed and develop confidence as musicians.

Music is celebrated throughout the school day and is central to our Catholic ethos. Children regularly sing during hymn practices, assemblies and Mass, helping them to develop confidence, performance skills and a love of music. Throughout the year, pupils have opportunities to perform for a variety of audiences through liturgical celebrations, assemblies and school performances.

We work closely with THAMES to enrich our music provision and ensure that children benefit from wider musical experiences beyond the classroom. The school regularly promotes and participates in THAMES projects and opportunities, including collaborative initiatives such as Water Songs: From Bangladesh to the Thames, enabling children to work alongside professional musicians and engage with music within meaningful cultural and community contexts.

To provide as many children as possible with the opportunity to learn an instrument, children in Years 4 to 6 can access group guitar tuition. Delivering lessons in a group setting allows more pupils to develop instrumental skills, musical confidence and enjoyment while learning collaboratively with their peers.

Our school choir rehearses regularly and provides children with a wide range of performance opportunities throughout the year. Choir members proudly represent the school within the local community, performing at venues and events including Tower Hamlets Town Hall, The Seamen's Mission, Canary Wharf and our local residential care home Aspen Court. These experiences allow children to share their talents, bring joy to others and develop confidence, responsibility and a strong sense of community.

Through our partnership with THAMES and our commitment to high-quality music education, we aim to inspire a lifelong appreciation of music and provide memorable musical experiences for all children.

​​​​​​​