Every school in England should have a music development plan, and the Department for Education (DfE) asks schools to publish a short summary of it on their website. Below is a complete worked example, written for a fictional primary school, that follows the DfE’s own section by section.
What schools are asked to do
- Have a music development plan, as set out in the .
- Publish a summary of it on the school website (first due before the 2024 to 2025 academic year).
- Update that summary before the start of each new academic year.
The template itself is not mandatory and schools can adapt it, for example by splitting it by key stage. Your local can help you write yours.
How to use this example: the school, names and partners below are invented. Swap in your own details, keep the four headings (curriculum music, co-curricular music, musical experiences, in the future), and write for parents: plain language, concrete times and costs, and what pupils actually get.
Music development plan summary: Oakfield Primary School (example)
Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Academic year that this summary covers | 2026 to 2027 |
| Date this summary was published | September 2026 |
| Date this summary will be reviewed | July 2027 |
| Name of the school music lead | Mrs J. Patel |
| Name of school leadership team member with responsibility for music (if different) | Mr D. Hughes, Deputy Headteacher |
| Name of local music hub | Northshire Music Hub |
| Name of other music education organisation(s) (if partnership in place) | Sing Up (singing resources); Northshire Youth Orchestra (live performance visits) |
This summary sets out how Oakfield Primary School delivers music education, in line with the . It covers what we offer this year, what we plan for future years, and how we work with Northshire Music Hub. It is written for parents, carers and pupils, and for anyone who wants to know more about music at Oakfield.
Part A: Curriculum music
This is about what we teach in lesson time.
Every class at Oakfield has at least one hour of music each week, made up of a timetabled lesson plus singing in class and assembly. Our curriculum follows the national curriculum for music and is informed by the DfE’s non-statutory Model Music Curriculum.
| Year group | Weekly time | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery and Reception | Daily music and singing, about 1 hour across the week | Songs, rhymes, pulse and rhythm through play; untuned percussion |
| Years 1 and 2 | 45-minute lesson + 15 minutes class singing | Singing, pulse, simple rhythms, listening, untuned and tuned percussion |
| Year 3 | 45-minute lesson + 15 minutes class singing | Glockenspiel and recorder; reading simple rhythm notation |
| Year 4 | 1-hour whole-class instrumental lesson, taught by a Northshire Music Hub tutor | Whole-class ukulele for the full year, ending in a summer concert |
| Years 5 and 6 | 45-minute lesson + 15 minutes class singing | Composing with music technology, keyboards, part-singing, music from different times and cultures |
How music is taught
- Lessons are taught by class teachers, supported by our music lead, using a planned scheme that builds year on year.
- Pupils listen to and talk about a wide range of music, from classical and film music to pop, jazz and music from around the world.
- Singing is part of every lesson, and the whole school sings together in a weekly singing assembly.
- Pupils record and share their work, so they can hear how they have progressed.
Supporting all pupils
Lessons are adapted so that every pupil can take part. This includes adapted instruments and beaters, visual and symbol-supported notation, ear defenders where helpful, and extra adult support. Our music lead works with our SENCo to plan for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Qualifications and awards
Pupils who take instrumental lessons can work towards graded exams through their tutor. Year 4 pupils taking part in whole-class ukulele receive a certificate from Northshire Music Hub at the end of the year.
Part B: Co-curricular music
This is about opportunities for pupils to sing and play music outside of lesson time.
Pupils can sing and play outside lessons in free school ensembles and in paid instrumental lessons, with help available for families who need it.
| Activity | Who it is for | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| School choir | Years 3 to 6, open to all | Tuesday lunchtime | Free |
| Infant singing club | Years 1 and 2 | Thursday lunchtime | Free |
| Ukulele club (continues Year 4 learning) | Years 5 and 6 | Wednesday after school | Free |
| Recorder group | Years 3 to 6 | Friday lunchtime | Free |
| Small-group or individual lessons: piano, guitar, violin, drums | Years 2 to 6 | During the school day, on a rota so pupils miss different lessons | Charged termly by Northshire Music Hub |
Help with costs
Pupils eligible for pupil premium, and children looked after, can have instrumental lessons free of charge. Other families facing hardship can apply to Northshire Music Hub’s remissions scheme; our school office can help with this.
Instruments and practice space
Pupils can borrow an instrument from the hub for their first year of lessons. Our music room is available before school and at lunchtime for pupils to rehearse and practise.
Progression beyond Oakfield
We signpost pupils to Northshire Music Hub’s Saturday music centre and area ensembles, so they can keep playing and play with pupils from other schools.
Part C: Musical experiences
This is about all the other musical events and opportunities that we organise.
Every pupil performs at least once a term and sees live music at least once a year, at no cost to families unless shown below.
| Term | Event | Who takes part | Cost to families |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Harvest assembly songs | Whole school, parents invited | Free |
| Autumn | Nativity (Reception to Year 2) and Christmas carol concert (Years 3 to 6) | All pupils | Free |
| Autumn | Choir sings at a local care home | School choir | Free |
| Spring | Northshire Youth Orchestra schools concert | Years 3 to 6 | Free (subsidised by the hub) |
| Spring | Visiting musicians workshop: brass and percussion | Whole school | Free |
| Spring | Area schools singing festival | School choir | 拢5 transport contribution, waived for pupil premium |
| Summer | Year 4 ukulele concert | Year 4, parents invited | Free |
| Summer | Year 6 leavers’ show | Year 6 | Free |
| Summer | Summer music showcase | Clubs, ensembles and instrumental pupils | Free |
Every week
- A whole-school singing assembly.
- Live music played as pupils enter and leave assembly, often performed by pupils.
- A “piece of the week” that pupils listen to and talk about in class.
In the future
This is about what the school is planning for subsequent years.
Over the next two years we will widen the range of instruments pupils can learn and give more pupils the chance to keep playing after Year 4.
| When | What we plan to do | How we will know it has worked |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 to 2027 | Train all class teachers in teaching singing, with Northshire Music Hub | Teachers report more confidence; music lead lesson visits |
| 2026 to 2027 | Start a school band for pupils who continue instruments after Year 4 | Band performs at the summer showcase |
| 2027 to 2028 | Add a second whole-class instrument in Year 5 (likely brass or strings) | Number of pupils taking up paid lessons in Year 6 |
| 2027 to 2028 | Refurbish the music room as a dedicated rehearsal and practice space | Room available every lunchtime and after school |
| 2027 to 2028 | Increase the share of pupil premium pupils in clubs and lessons | Club and lesson registers, reviewed each term |
We will review these plans with pupils, parents and the hub each summer, and update this summary before the start of each academic year.
Further information (optional)
To find out more about music at Oakfield, contact our music lead, Mrs J. Patel, through the school office. Northshire Music Hub’s website lists instrumental lessons, area ensembles and its local plan for music education, and explains how to apply for help with costs.
Tips for writing your own Music Development Plan
The national plan sets out seven features of high-quality school music. Readers of your summary will look for them, so make sure each one is easy to find. Here is where this example covers each.
| National plan feature | Where it appears in this example |
|---|---|
| At least one hour of timetabled curriculum music a week (key stages 1 to 3) | Part A: weekly time by year group |
| Access to lessons across a range of instruments, and voice | Part A: Year 4 ukulele; Part B: paid lessons |
| A school choir or vocal ensemble | Part B: school choir, infant singing club |
| A school ensemble, band or group | Part B: ukulele club, recorder group; school band planned |
| Space for rehearsals and individual practice | Part B: music room at lunchtime |
| A termly school performance | Part C: autumn, spring and summer events |
| The chance to enjoy live performance at least once a year | Part C: youth orchestra concert, visiting musicians |
Common gaps to avoid
- Leaving the DfE’s guidance text in the published page. The template asks you to delete it before publishing.
- Saying “opportunities are offered where appropriate” instead of naming the club, day and cost.
- Leaving out costs and the help available. Parents want to know what they will pay.
- Forgetting the review date, then not updating the summary before the new academic year.
- Not saying how pupils with SEND take part.
Final Note on writing your Music Development Plan
This post is just an example to use as you wish, please double check all information and that the requirements requested by the DfE are all met.