Music: Mixed-age

Music lessons tailored to the requirements of a mixed-age setting

Free trial

New statutory RSHE guidance is here. We’re creating our brand new RSE & PSHE scheme ready for September 2026. Learn more
  1. Subjects >
  2. Music >
  3. Mixed-age

How it works

We make teaching music simple with engaging lessons based on popular themes, from animals and festivals to space and superheroes, all supported by teacher videos.

 

The mixed-age units follow a Cycle A and Cycle B format, supporting the progression of skills for children across the age range.

Useful resources to teach Music

Useful resources to teach Music

Equipment list - Music
Year 1/2
Cycle A
Cycle B
Music
Keeping the pulse (Theme: My favourite things)
(5 lessons)
In this unit, children explore keeping the pulse together through music and movement, by exploring their favourite things.
View unit
Music
Tempo (Theme: Snail and mouse)
(5 lessons)
In this unit, children use bodies and instruments to listen and respond to pieces of music with fast…
View unit
Music
Pitch (Theme: Superheroes)
(5 lessons)
This unit helps the children learn to identify high and low notes and to compose a simple tune…
View unit
Music
Instruments (Theme: Musical storytelling)
(5 lessons)
This unit helps the children learn how events, actions and feelings within stories can be represented by pitch,…
View unit
Music
Singing (Theme: On this island)
(5 lessons)
In this unit, the children learn folk songs and create sounds to represent three contrasting landscapes: seaside, countryside…
View unit
Music
Pitch (Theme: Musical me)
(5 lessons)
In this unit, children are exploring the song ‘Once a Man Fell in a Well’, playing it using…
View unit
Music
Structure (Theme: Myths and legends)
(5 lessons)
This lesson helps the children develop an understanding of structure by exploring and ordering rhythms.
View unit
Music
Structure (Theme: Myths and legends)
(5 lessons)
This lesson helps the children develop an understanding of structure by exploring and ordering rhythms.
View unit
Music
Structure (Theme: Myths and legends)
(5 lessons)
This lesson helps the children develop an understanding of structure by exploring and ordering rhythms.
View unit
Music
Structure (Theme: Myths and legends)
(5 lessons)
This lesson helps the children develop an understanding of structure by exploring and ordering rhythms.
View unit
Music
Structure (Theme: Myths and legends)
(5 lessons)
This lesson helps the children develop an understanding of structure by exploring and ordering rhythms.
View unit
Music
Structure (Theme: Myths and legends)
(5 lessons)
This lesson helps the children develop an understanding of structure by exploring and ordering rhythms.
View unit
Year 3/4
Cycle A
Cycle B
Music
Unit 1: South Africa (Instrumental lessons)
(5 lessons)
Whole-class instrumental lessons on tuned percussion. This South Africa-themed unit develops pupils’ rhythmic, singing and notation skills.
View unit
Music
Developing singing technique (Theme: the Vikings)
(5 lessons)
The children develop their singing technique. Learning to keep in time and work on musical notation and rhythm,…
View unit
Music
Unit 2: Caribbean (Instrumental lessons)
(5 lessons)
Learning about the history and features of calypso music, performing a calypso-style song with voices and tuned percussion…
View unit
Music
Body and tuned percussion (Theme: Rainforests)
(5 lessons)
A topic of discovery; children will explore the rainforest through music and be introduced to new musical terms.…
View unit
Music
Jazz
(5 lessons)
Learning about ragtime style music, traditional jazz and scat singing. Children create a jazz motif using a swung…
View unit
Music
Adapting and transposing motifs (Theme: Romans)
(5 lessons)
Drawing upon their understanding of repeating patterns in music, pupils are introduced to the concept of motifs.
View unit
Music
Samba and carnival sounds and instruments (Theme: South America)
(5 lessons)
Getting a feel for the music and culture of South America, children are introduced to samba and the…
View unit
Music
Samba and carnival sounds and instruments (Theme: South America)
(5 lessons)
Getting a feel for the music and culture of South America, children are introduced to samba and the…
View unit
Music
Samba and carnival sounds and instruments (Theme: South America)
(5 lessons)
Getting a feel for the music and culture of South America, children are introduced to samba and the…
View unit
Music
Samba and carnival sounds and instruments (Theme: South America)
(5 lessons)
Getting a feel for the music and culture of South America, children are introduced to samba and the…
View unit
Music
Samba and carnival sounds and instruments (Theme: South America)
(5 lessons)
Getting a feel for the music and culture of South America, children are introduced to samba and the…
View unit
Music
Samba and carnival sounds and instruments (Theme: South America)
(5 lessons)
Getting a feel for the music and culture of South America, children are introduced to samba and the…
View unit
Year 5/6
Cycle A
Cycle B
Music
Film music
(5 lessons)
Exploring and identifying the characteristics of film music; creating a composition and graphic score to perform alongside a…
View unit
Music
Composition notation (Theme: Ancient Egypt)
(5 lessons)
Based on the theme of Ancient Egypt, children learn to identify the pitch and rhythm of written notes…
View unit
Music
Musical theatre
(5 lessons)
Children learn how singing, acting, and dancing combine to create an overall performance.
View unit
Music
Theme and variations (Theme: Pop Art)
(5 lessons)
Children explore the musical concept of theme and variations and discover how rhythms can ‘translate’ onto different instruments.
View unit
Music
Songs of World War 2
(5 lessons)
Developing greater accuracy in pitch and control; identifying pitches within an octave when singing and using knowledge of…
View unit
Music
Composing and performing a Leavers’ song
(6 lessons)
Children spend the topic creating their very own leavers’ song personal to their experiences as a class.
View unit
Music
Composing and performing a Leavers’ song
(6 lessons)
Children spend the topic creating their very own leavers’ song personal to their experiences as a class.
View unit
Music
Composing and performing a Leavers’ song
(6 lessons)
Children spend the topic creating their very own leavers’ song personal to their experiences as a class.
View unit
Music
Composing and performing a Leavers’ song
(6 lessons)
Children spend the topic creating their very own leavers’ song personal to their experiences as a class.
View unit
Music
Composing and performing a Leavers’ song
(6 lessons)
Children spend the topic creating their very own leavers’ song personal to their experiences as a class.
View unit
Music
Composing and performing a Leavers’ song
(6 lessons)
Children spend the topic creating their very own leavers’ song personal to their experiences as a class.
View unit
Music
Composing and performing a Leavers’ song
(6 lessons)
Children spend the topic creating their very own leavers’ song personal to their experiences as a class.
View unit

Teacher skills videos

Getting started with Kapow Primary Music
Subject leader video: How is Kapow Primary's Music curriculum designed?
Pitches (all key stages)
Dynamics (all key stages)
Music teacher skills KS1 dynamics
Music teacher skills KS1 pitch
Music teacher skills KS1 tempo
Teacher skills video: Beat and rhythm
Log in Sign up

Related Content

How To Ace Your Primary Languages Subject Leader Role

How To Ace Your Subject Leader Role In Art and design

Top Tips For New Art and Design Subject Leaders

Preparing for Sustainability and Climate Action in Your School

Popular content

Other subjects

Please don’t screenshot or copy images from this page.
Kapow Primary resources are created by teachers and protected by copyright. Copying images or slides into your own presentations (for example using the Snipping Tool) counts as reproducing the resource and isn’t permitted under the Kapow licence.
This resource is being accessed through your school’s Kapow licence.
Thank you for respecting the work of the teachers who create these materials.