Music is at the heart of Hackney New Primary School

We’ve chosen to make Music a core part of our curriculum because:

• Musical performance rewards individual effort and teamwork
• Learning to play an instrument teaches focus, concentration and perseverance
• Performing, composing and appreciating music is beautiful and joyful.

Along with English and Mathematics, Music is a core subject at HNPS:

• Our pupils have music lessons on daily basis – 2 musicianship lessons, 2 instrumental tutorials and 1 ensemble across the week by specialist music teachers who are led by our Head of Music.
• In Summer term of Reception our pupils get to choose a stringed instrument from the choice of Violin, Viola, Bass or Cello which they begin learning to play in Year 1 through small-group tuition at no cost to parents. 
• Across the school our pupils have several opportunities to play with others in groups and bands as well as musicians, whilst regularly performing to different audiences.

At HNPS we are a silver level Rights Respecting School, where our practice adheres to the UNICEF Convention Rights of the Child.  We believe our music curriculum fulfils the aims of the Convention in the following articles:

Article 13, Freedom of Expression

Article 29, Goals of Education

Article 31, Leisure, Play and Culture

Please see this article on the importance of keeping a beat: Researchers link ability to keep a beat to reading, language skills.