Creative Arts (Art, Dance and Music)

Research indicates creative arts, including music, dance, drama and art significantly impacts cognitive development, increases self-esteem, and actively engages everyone in learning.

At Moreland we believe that the arts offer opportunities for the children to explore, express and communicate their feelings whilst gaining experiences of the wider world. Through experiencing the arts, children develop their creativity, self-esteem and confidence.

Children at Moreland Primary School are provided with a broad and rounded education. All pupils are given opportunities linked to a wide range of arts experiences as part of and in addition to the curriculum. We employ specialist music and dance teachers and all children have the opportunity to learn an instrument during their time at Moreland as well as taking part in performances and concerts both in and out of school including the Young Voices Concert. We believe all children should have equal access to the arts and we are committed to offering our children the chance to visit many of London's cultural venues and work with well known arts organisations such as the Musician's Company and London Symphony Orchestra. All the children take part in the National Gallery's Take One Picture project in the summer term as part of an art led enquiry project based around a painting in the National Gallery collection.

As well as providing a creative and enriched Arts curriculum, we also provide a range of exciting clubs for the children, including many that are arts-based (choir, performing arts, dance, art and drumming).

Knowledge and Skills Progression Maps

See below for Progression Maps.

For Dance see the PE curriculum information.

Take One Picture Project

In the summer term each year, children participate in the National Gallery Take One Picture Project.

Take One Picture is a national programme for primary schools, which aims to inspire a lifelong love of art and learning.

Every year,  the National Gallery chooses one picture from the collection to inspire cross-curricular work in primary classrooms.

The project includes the following elements:

Painting links: Work links back to the focus painting
Investigative approach: Projects are shaped by child-led research
Process: Children have the opportunity to learn a new process inspired by the painting
Cross-curricular learning: Projects make meaningful links across the curriculum
Community: Learning often involves people or places in the local community or partnership working

In the Autumn term we hold an exhibition of all the children's work that is open to the school community and wider community partners to view. We also submit a portfolio of work to the annual Take One Picture exhibition which takes place at the National Gallery. The exhibition is held every summer and is a great way to celebrate children’s creativity and showcase their responses to the focus painting. Students have the unique opportunity to see their artwork exhibited at the heart of a world-leading gallery.

We were lucky enough in 2023 to be chosen to exhibit in the Take One Picture exhibition. In addition to this, a group of children from Moreland were invited as one of two schools to participate in designing the exhibition with the National Gallery staff and were invited to the opening of the exhibition to talk with visitors about their work. They even opened the exhibition.

Follow this link to the Exhibition web site.

Again in 2024 we were chosen to exhibit in the National Gallery Exhibition. The tiger made by Reception Class was on display all summer in Trafalgar Square.

Take One Picture 2024 - Pieter de Hooch, 'The Courtyard of a House in Delft'

Islington Dance Festival Performance 2024

The children choreographed and performed a dance inspired by the painting at the Islington Dance Festival.

A Soundscape by Year 4

The children in Year 4 worked with The Musician's Company to compose and record a soundscape to accompany the painting.

Take One Picture 2023 - Surprised!

This year's painting was Surprised! by Henri Rousseau.

Islington Dance Festival Performance 2023

The children choreographed and performed a dance inspired by the painting at the Islington Dance Festival.

Take One Picture 2022 - A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas

This year's painting was "A Ship Wreck In Stormy Seas" by Claude-Joseph Vernet.

A Ship Wreck in Stormy Seas - A Soundscape by Year 4

The children in Year 4 worked with The Musician's Company to compose and record a soundscape to accompany the painting.

Dance Festival Performance

Islington School's Dance Festival
The children choreographed a dance based around the painting "A Shipwreck on Stormy Seas" as part of the National Gallery's Take One Picture project.

Take One Picture Art Work 2022

Take One Picture Exhibition 2022

Overview of Take One Picture Project

Take One Picture Submission

Music at Moreland

The music curriculum at Moreland Primary School aims to provide our students with the necessary skills to develop into well-rounded musicians throughout their primary education. Following the National Curriculum for music children will perform, compose, improvise and appraise music of a wide variety of genres and styles. They will learn to use their voices expressively and confidently as well as having the opportunity to play a range of different musical instruments. In addition, students will develop their knowledge of musical elements and learn about the creation, production and communication of various forms of music.

We are committed to delivering an exciting and stimulating music curriculum that is inclusive and fosters creativity and individuality. We believe that music can engage and excite children; stimulating imagination and inspiring creativity. We have a specialist music teacher to facilitate this and we work with outside agencies to bring experiences and opportunities to the children to deepen their understanding and skills and build aspiration through exposing children to careers and opportunities in music and the arts.

EYFS

In the EYFS children are introduced to music in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. Children have opportunities to explore music in child initiated play, have free access to a range of instruments, learn a range of songs and rhymes and have opportunities to perform in the classroom and outdoor environment. In addition all children from 0-5 receive a weekly lesson with a specialist music teacher. In Nursery and Reception children are taught using the Jolly Music scheme. Through a repertoire of playground rhymes and songs, children learn to identify musical elements such as pulse, rhythm, pitch, loudness and speed. This learning is reinforced through physical actions, creative activities and musical games Children build a repertoire of songs and rhymes, explore the sound of instruments, follow and create rhythms and move rhythmically to music.

KS1

In KS1 teaching continues to follow the Jolly Music scheme. The lessons are structured to build key musical skills like listening, singing in tune, developing inner hearing, and ultimately reading and writing music. Over the school year children are provided with experience in each of the 4 skills of the National Curriculum for Music: Use their voices expressively and creatively; play tuned and un-tuned instruments musically; listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music; experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music. Progression should be seen in developing skills across the year as children learn new skills and then apply them independently.

Lower KS2

In Years 3 and 4 children continue to follow the Jolly Music scheme in addition to recorder lessons (Year 3) and keyboard lessons (Year 4). Jolly Music lessons are structured to build key musical skills like listening, singing in tune, developing inner hearing, and ultimately reading and writing music.

Over the year children are provided with experience in each of the 6 areas of the National Curriculum for Music: to play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression; to improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music; to listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory; use and understand staff and other musical notations; to appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians; to develop an understanding of the history of music. Progression should be seen in developing skills across the year as children learn new skills and then apply them independently, culminating (where possible) in a performance.

Upper KS2

In Year 5 children continue to learn keyboards with a specialist teacher. In Year 6 they learn to use music technology to compose and perform. Children in Year 5 and 6 also follow the Kapow music scheme. Over the year children are provided with experience in each of the 6 areas of the National Curriculum for Music: to play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression; to improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music; to listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory; use and understand staff and other musical notations; to appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians; to develop an understanding of the history of music. Progression should be seen in developing skills across the year as children learn new skills and then apply them independently, culminating (where possible) in a performance.

Throughout their primary education, students will be exposed to music of various genres, styles and traditions and will develop their appraising and critical listening skills. This forms part of music lessons and music appreciation assemblies. All teaching is underpinned by the elements of music that are essential in building a foundation for the many areas of our students’ musical development.

The progression of skills for each year group is laid out in the Music Knowledge and Skills Progression Map

Performance at Moreland

Children are given opportunities to take part in performances of music, drama and dance throughout the year. Please see below for a taste of some previous performances.

Year 6 Show 2024 - The Wizard of Oz

Performing for Her Majesty the Queen (Rehearsal) May 2024

Spring Concert 2024

Young Voices 2024

Nativity Play 2023

Year 6 Show 2023 - Pirates of the Curry Bean

Mayor of Islington Charity Concert 2023

Mayor of Islington's Charity Concert
Our choir performed at the Mayor of Islington's Charity Concert

Young Voices 2023

Children in Year 5 and 6 attended the Young Voices Choir concert at the 02 arena singing in a choir of 9000 children.

Community Christmas Concert 2022

Community Christmas Concert
Children in Years 1-3 took part in a community Carol concert at St Clement's church alongside Pedro the donkey.

Year 6 Show 2022 : Peter Pan

Moreland's Got Talent

Every summer we hold a talent show where children can perform in front of the school and a panel of judges.

Year 3 Nativity 2021

Year 6 Show - Oliver Summer 2021

Nativity Play 2019

Spring Concert

Pure Voices Concert Union Chapel

Year 6 Summer Show 2019 - Little Shop of Horrors

Y4 LSO Discovery Concert Performance 2018

Art and Design at Moreand

At Moreland we believe that the teaching of art and design should facilitate all children to reach their creative potential. Every child is supported when learning art to develop their critical and creative thinking skills, build their knowledge and understanding of materials and techniques, have the opportunity to develop their own personal creative response to a variety of stimulus and learn about and be inspired by the work of a diverse range of artists and designers.

We have developed our own bespoke art and design curriculum at Moreland, aligned to the National Curriculum, working in partnership with artists from the Bow Arts Organisation and drawing on some of the curriculum resources provided by Access Arts. We have worked hard to ensure that this curriculum introduces children to a representative and diverse collection of artists and designers working in the past and today. Children are given opportunities to develop their cultural capital in art and design through this study and through curriculum enrichment such as visits to art galleries and museums and participating in workshops. In Year 2 to Year 6 art is taught by professional artists working with the Bow Arts organisation. We also aim to provide children with an understanding of careers in art and design through the study of artists working today and opportunities to meet those working in this field.

More information on progression of knowledge and skills in art and design can be found in the Progression Map and Art and Design overview.

Examples of Children’s Art Work

Here are some examples of our art curriculum at Moreland. Have a look at the Art Work Gallery (in the related content) to see more.