A Knowledge Organiser that captures the essential knowledge and skills learnt throughout the unit Music, Year 5, Composition to Represent the Festival of Colour.

This resource is designed to support pupils as they explore how music can express ideas and emotions through colour and celebration. Inspired by Holi—the Hindu festival of colour—pupils compose their own music to represent the joy and symbolism of this springtime event. The unit introduces vocabulary and musical concepts including graphic score, synaesthesia, tonality (major and minor), and layering. Pupils also learn to apply the inter-related dimensions of music such as texture, timbre, dynamics, and tempo to create expressive and vibrant compositions.

• Music scheme of work.
• Year 5 Music scheme of work.

A Knowledge Organiser that captures the essential knowledge and skills learnt throughout the unit Music, Year 5, South and West Africa.
 

This resource is designed to support pupils as they explore the musical traditions of South and West Africa, where rhythm, movement and expression are central to performance. It highlights key vocabulary and techniques such as call and response, ostinato, polyrhythms and syncopation, alongside guidance for improving performance through fluency, accuracy, control and expression. Pupils are also introduced to traditional percussion instruments including the djembe, balafon, kalimba and shekere. It is perfect for consolidating essential musical knowledge and fostering an appreciation of African musical culture.
 

• Music scheme of work.
• Year 5 Music scheme of work.

A Knowledge Organiser that captures the essential knowledge and skills learnt throughout the unit Music, Year 5, Blues.
 

This unit introduces pupils to the fundamental elements of blues music, focusing on its distinctive features and historical context. Pupils learn about the 12-bar blues structure, the blues scale, and key musical concepts such as chords, bars, and improvisation. They explore how blues music often conveys emotions, particularly sadness, which is reflected in the term “the blues.” The unit also covers specific musical techniques like bent notes and the use of quavers, enhancing pupils’ understanding of rhythm and melody. Through engaging with this unit, pupils develop their ability to perform and compose blues music, fostering creativity and musical expression.
 

• Music scheme of work.
• Year 5 and Year 6 scheme of work.

A Knowledge Organiser that captures the essential knowledge and skills learnt throughout the unit Music, Year 5, Musical Theatre.
 

This resource supports pupils as they explore the world of musical theatre, understanding how music, songs, spoken dialogue, and dance combine to tell a story. It introduces key vocabulary and concepts such as composer, lyricist, librettist, script, score, director, choreographer, and performers, helping pupils grasp the various roles involved in creating a musical. The unit also covers different types of songs within musicals, including character songs that express a character’s feelings and action songs that describe events in the story. Additionally, pupils learn about transitions in music and the historical development of musical theatre, from opera and operetta to modern film musicals, book musicals, jukebox musicals, and rock and hip-hop musicals.
 

• Music scheme of work.
• Year 5 and Year 6 Music scheme of work.

A Knowledge Organiser that captures the essential knowledge and skills learnt throughout the unit Music, Year 5, Composition Notation (Ancient Egypt).
 

This resource supports pupils as they explore musical composition inspired by Ancient Egypt. It introduces vocabulary and concepts such as melody, ensemble, call and response, structure, verse, unison, improvising, notation, major, minor, tempo, and motif. Pupils learn to create compositions using both traditional staff notation and letter notation, experimenting with rhythms and melodies that reflect the theme of Ancient Egypt. The unit encourages creativity and collaboration, enabling pupils to develop their musical understanding and compositional skills.
 

• Music scheme of work.
• Year 5 and Year 6 Music scheme of work.