Supporting primary-level national curriculum Music programmes with Arts Award Discover
Making music, gaining a qualification
Arts Award Discover provides a useful framework for Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2) whole-class, ensemble music making and singing – and you can structure your national curriculum music delivery around this framework.
Arts Award can support all primary school teachers to offer music lessons that are fun and easy-to-access – even for teachers with little or no music experience.
How does Arts Award Discover work with KS1 and KS2 music?
Arts Award Discover develops children’s imagination and creativity while raising their awareness and enjoyment of music at Key Stage 1 and 2. Then upon completion, they receive a certificate they can take pride in.
'We found Arts Award Discover was an excellent way of not only assessing how the children were progressing, but also helped children gain a much wider understanding of music making than they would normally do in a whole-class practical music project.'
Mike Simpson, Musical Director, Inspire Works
Primary music KS1 activities that work with Arts Award Discover
Music activities suitable for Key Stages 1 and 2 activities that can count towards Discover include:
Singing KS1 songs. Encouraging students to use their voices expressively and creatively is great fun, and one of the best things you can do to make learning enjoyable. With Discover, the singing, chants and rhymes you’re already doing in class can be used towards a certificate.
Playing musical instruments. Discover supports First Access tuition and Whole Class Instrumental Teaching (WCIT), enabling children to explore playing instruments and expressing themselves in memorable, whole-class music activities.
Listening to music. Discover encourages learning about musicians by listening to their music and finding out about their careers and lives.
Composing music and reflecting. As part of their work towards Discover, students can compose simple pieces of music using instruments – or other objects. Afterwards, they can be encouraged to reflect on the outcome and the steps they took.
Music tuition. Arts Award Discover can also be used to recognise progress in individual and small group music lessons, and instrumental tuition.
