Pitch-perfect music for primary schools.

CURRICULUM-ALIGNED MUSIC THAT’S MORE PLANNED, PLAYFUL AND PROGRESSIVE.

Our music education platform for primary schools gives specialist and non-specialist teachers the resources, skills and confidence needed to enhance learning outcomes.

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BENEFITS

Music to your ears.

Curriculum-aligned content.

Get all the music education resources, materials and tools needed to cover the National Curriculum and Model Music Curriculum for KS1 and KS2, and the EYFS Framework for Reception.

Built-in CPD.

Embedded teacher CPD courses ensure effective instruction, building confidence  and skills in non-specialist teachers and upskilling specialist teachers, empowering  them to deliver high-quality music lessons  and to enjoy the process.

Ready-made
lesson plans.

Reduce preparation time with easy-to-follow lesson plans that include warm-ups, play-based activities, interactive slides, audio and video clips and printables.

Foundational skills.

Foster foundational skills and support the transition from EYFS to KS1 through lessons that are embedded with the Characteristics of Effective Learning framework.

Engaging content.

Ready-to-use teaching tools and classroom activities are designed to simplify teaching  and make the learning experience fun.  
By singing, dancing, playing instruments and using materials to express feelings, every  lesson is hands-on.

Instrumental offering.

Older children at KS3 level can study guitar, piano, drums and electric bass. Our step-by-step method promotes independent learning and progress.

Download sample lesson plan Download medium term plan

Deeper. Broader. Fuller. Richer.

Our comprehensive educational content covers seven year groups, from Reception through to Year 6.

Every year group is divided into six units of six lessons each, all rooted in the fundamental skills highlighted in the National Curriculum and EYFS Framework. Every year group is divided into six units of six lessons each, all rooted in the fundamental skills highlighted in the National Curriculum. The lessons contain fun, engaging activities that will spark pupils’ interest and fuel progress. This structure makes the music teacher’s job easier and more joyful.

Click on a year group to find out more about its units and themes, lessons and objectives:

Reception KS1 Year 1 KS1 Year 2 KS2 Year 3 KS2 Year 4 KS2 Year 5 KS2 Year 6

Unit 1: Music and Language
Lesson	Title	Objective
1	Goldilocks and The Three Bears	I can use my voice to tell a story and sing along with a song.
2	Miss Polly Had a Dolly	I can use my voice to sing and tell a story with actions.
3	The Teddy Bears’ Picnic	I can change my voice to tell a story through song.
4	Dingle Dangle Scarecrow	I can sing loudly and quietly.
5	Down by the Bay	I can make up new words and add them to a song.
6	The Wheels on the Bus	I can help to write and sing a class song.

Unit 2: Music Around the World
Lesson	Title	Objective
1	Australia	I can explore music from different cultures and join in with singing a song from Australia.
2	France	I can explore music from different cultures and join in with singing a song from France.
3	Ghana	I can join in with a Ghanaian call-and-response song and learn about music from another culture.
4	The Festival of Diwali	I can learn about the celebration of Diwali through music.
5	The Festival of Hanukkah	I can learn about traditional Hanukkah music and instruments.
6	Christmas Carols	I can learn some Christmas carols.

Unit 3: Music and Movement
Lesson	Title	Objective
1	Moving in Time to Music	I can move my body to music and follow the actions to a song.
2	Actions	I can sing ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’ with actions and movements.
3	Creating Action Songs	I can create my own song lyrics and add actions.
4	Responding to Music Through Movement	I can move my body in response to music.
5	South African Gumboot Dancing	I can create rhythms and patterns using my feet and body, working with others to make a stomping dance.
6	Body Percussion	I can use my body to make music and perform my ideas to others.

Unit 4: Musical Feelings
Lesson	Title	Objective
1	Experimenting with Instruments	I can use my voice to tell a story and sing along with a song.
2	Listening and Responding to Music	I can use instruments to make different sounds and explore how playing music makes me feel.
3	Listening and Responding to Music Part 2	I can listen to music and use my body to show how it makes me feel.
4	Using Music to Regulate Emotions	I can listen carefully to music and use it to help calm down my body and mind. I can explore how music can change the way I feel and help me to relax.
5	Responding to Music with Props	I can listen to music and use a puppet or soft toy to express different emotions through actions and movement.
6	Showing Emotions Through Music	I can use my body to make sounds and show different emotions.

Unit 5: Expression Through Music
Lesson	Title	Objective
1	Connecting Music to Art	I can think about the ways music and art are similar.
2	Art in Response to Music	I can create art that shows how music makes me feel and what it makes me imagine.
3	Making Instruments	I can create my own musical instrument using recycled and natural materials and explore the sounds it makes.
4	Sound Wall	I can explore different materials and sounds to create a class sound wall.
5	Let’s Make a Cake!	I can use sounds and instruments to represent actions in a song.
6	Moving to a 4-beat Pattern	I can move my body to a 4-beat pattern.

Unit 6: Mathematical Music
Lesson	Title	Objective
1	Counting Beats and Rests with Clapping	I understand what it means to clap a beat and rest.
2	Counting Beats and Rests with Instruments	I can use an instrument to play a steady beat.
3	Body Percussion Rhythm Grids	I can use a rhythm grid to follow a simple body percussion rhythm pattern.
4	Instrumental Rhythm Grids	I can use an instrument to play a rhythm using a rhythm grid.
5	Repeating Rhythm Patterns	I can use my body to perform a repeating rhythm pattern.
6	Composing and Performing	I can compose a simple rhythm pattern and perform it using an instrument.

Year 1 – Unit 1: Exploring and Playing Instruments
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Exploring Percussion Instruments	I can identify a percussion instrument and explore how to make different sounds.
2	Families of Instruments	I can name the families of instruments and place some instruments within the correct family group.
3	Loud and Quiet	I know how to make loud and quiet sounds, playing along to a beat.
4	Fast and Slow	I can hear when music gets faster and slower, matching the beat with actions or percussion.
5	Rhythm Patterns	I can use long and short notes to clap and chant along to a rhythm pattern.
6	Performing a Rhythm Pattern	I can write and perform my own rhythm pattern, using musical instruments.

Year 1 – Unit 2: Listening and Responding to Music
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Introduction to Carnival of the Animals	I can listen to music and express how it makes me feel or what it makes me think of.
2	Exploring Animal Movements	I can represent an animal through movements to music.
3	Exploring Rhythm and Tempo	I can hear when the tempo changes and respond by clapping along to the rhythm.
4	Exploring Dynamics and Mood	I can hear and respond to volume changes in music through movement.
5	Discovering Instrumentation	I can listen to and identify the sounds of some instruments and use percussion instruments to represent animals.
6	Rehearsal and Performance	I can take part in a performance using instruments, movements, or rhythmic clapping in time to the music.

Year 1 – Unit 3: Musicianship
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Busker	I can explain what a busker is and try to keep a beat whilst playing a rhythm pattern.
2	Orchestra	I can hear how an orchestra uses pitch and dynamics in their music.
3	Beatboxer	I can create my own unique sounds and rhythms like a beatboxer.
4	Singer	I can learn and sing a melody.
5	DJ	I can understand the role of a DJ and how changing the tempo and mixing music can make it more interesting.
6	Rock Band	I know what makes a rock band and how to work as a group to create a musical performance.

Year 1 – Unit 4: Singing, Chants and Rhymes
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Breathing and Posture for Singing	I can control my breathing and use the correct posture for singing.
2	High/Low Singing	I can attempt to match the pitch of a tune by singing high and low notes.
3	Rhythm and Tempo in Singing	I can clap a rhythm whilst singing and alter the tempo of the song.
4	Expression and Dynamics in Singing	I can use my singing voice to alter the dynamics of a song. I can sing with expression.
5	Combining Skills and Preparing for an Audience	I can use my singing skills and knowledge to reflect and feedback on a dress rehearsal.
6	Class Performance	I can perform in front of an audience using my singing skills (posture, breathing, pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, expression).

Year 1 – Unit 5: Music Around the World
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	South African Folk Music	I can sing a South African folk song and keep a steady beat using percussion instruments.
2	Developing Dynamics	I can sing loudly and softly while using percussion instruments to match the rhythm of the song.
3	French Folk Music	I can sing a French song and use percussion instruments to help keep the rhythm.
4	Rounds and Rhythm with 'Frère Jacques'	I can sing a round in two or more groups and use percussion instruments to keep time.
5	Irish Folk Music	I can sing an Irish folk song with a lively rhythm and use percussion to keep the beat.
6	Folk Performance	I can sing songs from different countries and use instruments to make a performance exciting.

Year 1 – Unit 6: Performance
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Introduction to Performance and Story	I can understand the elements of a performance. I can explore how music can be used to tell a story.
2	Stage Presence and Confidence	I can begin to develop stage presence through movement and expression.
3	Managing Performance Anxiety	I can explore techniques to stay calm and focused before and during a performance.
4	Audience Interaction and Simulation	I can begin performing for peers, practising audience interaction and receiving feedback.
5	Rehearsal	I can rehearse a story performance, focusing on feedback and making changes.
6	Final Performance	I can perform ‘Let’s Go on a Music Hunt!’ for an audience, incorporating all the skills I’ve learnt.

Year 2 – Unit 1: Exploring and Playing Instruments
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Exploring Rhythm and Pulse	I can play ti-ti, ta rhythms as part of a class performance.
2	Call and Response	I can play call and response patterns with a partner.
3	Exploring Melody and Pitch	I understand the difference between high pitch and low pitch.
4	Playing Tuned Percussion	I can play a song using a tuned percussion instrument, understanding the difference between low and high notes.
5	Combining Pitch and Rhythm	I can recognise long and short notes in dot notation.
6	Performance of Hot Cross Buns	I can perform Hot Cross Buns on a tuned percussion instrument.

Year 2 – Unit 2: Listening and Responding to Music
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Exploring Musical Terms and Beats	I can explore musical terms and whether a piece of music has two or three beats.
2	Introduction to Program Music	I understand how music can show different emotions.
3	Dynamics and Tempo	I can use dynamics and tempo to tell a story through music.
4	Musical Stories	I can describe musical features and how they can be used to create a character within a story.
5	Composing for Jack and the Beanstalk	I understand how to use tempo, dynamics, pitch and instrumentation to create music for a character in a story.
6	Performance of Jack and the Beanstalk	I can perform as part of a class composition project.

Year 2 – Unit 3: Musicianship
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Revisiting Rhythm	I can compose ti-ti and ta rhythms and play in time to the beat.
2	Creating Jungle Sounds	I can use body percussion to reflect the sounds of the jungle.
3	Jungle Sounds Performance	I can play a body percussion rhythm as part of a layered class performance.
4	Learning Do, Re, Mi	I can sing Do, Re and Mi, using actions to represent the low, medium and high pitches.
5	Performing ‘Au Clair de la Lune’	I understand how to play Do, Re and Mi on a tuned percussion instrument and can perform a melody using these notes.
6	Fa and Sol	I know the names of five pitches and can play these notes on a tuned percussion instrument.

Year 2 – Unit 4: Singing, Chants and Rhymes
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	What Shall We Do With the Sleepy Sailor?	I know how to warm up properly for singing and understand the origins of sea shanties.
2	Composing Sea Shanties	I can write and perform my own lyrics to a sea shanty.
3	Call and Response in Sea Shanties	I understand what it means to sing a call and response, and why sailors used this in sea shanties.
4	Skye Boat Song	I can sing different dynamics to match the mood and lyrics of a song.
5	Singing and Teamwork	I can demonstrate teamwork through singing.
6	Performing a Sea Shanty	I understand where sea shanties come from and can contribute to a class performance of a sea shanty.

Year 2 – Unit 5: Music Around the World
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	South African Lullabies	I can sing a South African lullaby in Zulu and understand how to use dynamics to reflect the mood of the song.
2	The Music of West Africa	I can sing a West African lullaby in Zulu and understand how to use dynamics to reflect the mood of the song.
3	The Music of North Africa	I can sing a Moroccan song in Arabic whilst performing a body percussion ostinato.
4	Composing an Ostinato	I can compose and perform an ostinato using a tuned percussion instrument.
5	The Music of West Africa	I can sing a welcome song from Nigeria, using Makaton signs.
6	West African Drumming	I understand the meaning of polyrhythm and can play as part of a class polyrhythm performance.

Year 2 – Unit 6: Performance
Lesson	Title	Learning Outcome
1	Vocal Performance	I understand how to tell a story through song, using quiet and loud dynamics and actions.
2	Developing Ensemble Skills	I can play tuned percussion as part of an ensemble and understand how to keep in time.
3	Managing Performance Nerves	I understand how to use my imagination and breathing to help me manage nerves before a performance.
4	Following the Conductor	I understand how to follow a conductor and can perform a rhythm as part of an ensemble.
5	Singing and Performing with Instruments	I can transition between singing and playing during the class performance of ‘There Was a Princess Long Ago’.
6	Dress Rehearsal	I understand how to rehearse and prepare for a performance in front of an audience.

Highlights
Written by teachers, for teachers.
36 lessons per year group, divided into units of 6 weeks each.
Play-based, hands-on learning promoted throughout the lessons.
Music theory and terminology introduced from the beginning.
Colourful and dynamic resources designed to engage young minds.

Watch the demo video.

When you join The Ear Academy, you’ll get instructional videos like this one, which familiarises teachers with our platform and resources.  
Watch it now to get a feel for what you’ll get with The Ear, and how you’ll use it.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What teaching materials are available?

We provide ready-to-use lesson plans, digital resources like images and audio clips, and interactive slides for engaging lessons. These materials align with national curricula and support various teaching strategies.

Where can I download the teaching materials?

Teaching materials are available for use and downloadable on each lesson’s page.

Does The Ear Academy’s curriculum align with national standards?

Absolutely—the curriculum aligns with the UK National Curriculum and the Model Music Curriculum, ensuring lessons meet educational standards.

How are lessons structured?

Lessons are structured into ‘units’, each consisting of six lessons, covering topics like instrument exploration, music theory, and performance. They incorporate practical activities, discussions, and experiments to promote active learning.

Do you offer formal assessments on the platform?

Currently, we do not offer formal assessments for KS1 or EYFS. As the platform evolves and expands into KS2, we will explore the possibility of integrating formal assessment options for teachers who require them.

How do teachers assess progress during lessons?

Teachers use informal, formative assessments through observation and note-taking during each lesson. This allows them to monitor students' progress towards meeting learning objectives and identify areas that may need additional focus. Each unit concludes with a performance by the children. This is an opportunity for both the teacher and the pupils to reflect on what has been learnt and what progress has been made during that unit.

What role does the 'Reflect' section play in assessments?

The 'Reflect' section at the end of each lesson encourages pupils to review and apply what they’ve learned. This acts as an assessment tool, helping teachers gauge pupils’ understanding and pinpoint areas that may need further explanation or practice.

How does The Ear Academy support teachers' professional development?

The Ear Academy for primary schools includes a CPD programme that focuses on building teacher confidence, developing subject knowledge, and enhancing pedagogical skills. It offers resources and activities to support teachers in their professional growth.

How will the CPD courses improve teacher confidence?

The CPD courses at The Ear Academy provide teachers with a deep understanding of music content and offer classroom strategies and frameworks to improve their teaching practices. High-quality resources, including lesson plans and instructional videos, are provided to prepare teachers for content, while opportunities for practice and reflection help them refine their skills.

What CPD elements are included?

The CPD elements include knowledge checks, classroom strategies, and opportunities to practise content. Teachers can use these to refine their teaching approaches and ensure they are lesson-ready.

Find more FAQs about The Ear Academy