The New Direction of Musical Activities in Primary School in England : A Key to Developing Discourse and Exuberance in the KS1 Classroom

The role of music of primary schools in England has changed dramatically in recentyears. The Secretary of State for Education published the new national curriculum frameworkon 11 September 2013. The Department for Education (DfE) states that most of the contentof the new national curriculum will come into force from September 2014. One of the prominentpoints among these changes is that the previous National Curriculum, which schools havebeen following since 2002, will no longer be valid after 1 September 2013 and it will no longerbe statutory. Key Stage1 (KS1: age 5-7) is a significant stage for children as it involves transitionfrom nursery school to compulsory education. Teachers bear a great responsibility duringthese years. Music is an invaluable tool for class teachers, not only in terms of teaching butalso as a means of helping pupils communicate in other ways. This non-threatening subjecthelps children who may hesitate to communicate with other pupils by enabling them to expressthemselves through musical activities. In this essay, the new direction of national curriculum2014 and the theory of music for KS1 are examined, and practical educational applications ofmusic in the classroom will be considered