Ofsted music deep dive: questions subject leads should rehearse
An Ofsted music deep dive is usually a conversation about curriculum, not a performance. Inspectors want to hear a clear explanation of what pupils learn, how it builds over time, and how leaders know it is being taught as intended. A short rehearsal with staff helps everyone describe the same curriculum story in specific, classroom language.
Keep the inspection framework handy so your wording matches inspection priorities: Education inspection framework for use from November 2025.
Audit questions to rehearse with your team
Intent and choices
- What does a pupil leaving Year 6 know and do in music that shows genuine progression?
- How does your curriculum meet the statutory expectation for singing, playing, listening and composing?
- Which repertoire and genres do pupils meet, and what is the reason for those choices?
Sequence and progression
- How does EYFS musical play connect to KS1 so pupils arrive in KS2 ready for more independence?
- What is the progression for rhythm from copying to reading and creating short patterns?
- What is the progression for pitch from matching one note to singing and playing simple melodies?
Implementation
- What does a typical lesson look like in your school, including routines for silence, count in and feedback?
- How do non specialist teachers know what to model, correct and praise?
- How do you adapt for SEND and EAL while keeping the same musical goal for the whole class?
Checking learning with low workload
- What do teachers check in the moment, for example steady pulse, accurate rhythm, or pitch matching?
- How do you show improvement over time without producing written work every lesson?
- How do you spot gaps in coverage across the year and respond?
Quick wins you can do in a fortnight
- Write a one page music story. Three paragraphs: what pupils learn, how it builds, how you check it.
- Pick three anchor lessons. One KS1, one lower KS2, one upper KS2. Practise describing each in under two minutes.
- Agree shared definitions. Use the same sentence for pulse and rhythm across school. Example: Pulse is the steady heartbeat. Rhythm is the pattern that sits on top.
- Standardise one end check. For one week, every class answers the same exit question, such as Show the pulse while I clap a rhythm.
If you use Kidstrument, the Curriculum Map makes sequencing easy to explain, and the Schemes of Work keep lesson structure consistent for non specialists.
A medium term plan for one term
- Clarify time allocation. Record whether music is weekly or taught in blocks, and how retrieval happens between lessons.
- Do two short drop ins. Use one lens, such as whether pupils start together after a silent count in.
- Run a 20 minute staff huddle. Model one skill, then give teachers a two sentence script they can use next lesson.
- Review coverage and adjust. Decide what to reteach and when, rather than adding more content.
Use the statutory programme of study as your reference point: National curriculum in England: music programmes of study.
Evidence pack that keeps workload sensible
- Sequencing: long term overview plus one year group map that shows how lessons connect and revisit prior learning.
- Implementation: two annotated lesson examples with the key teacher moves, the vocabulary focus, and the end check.
- Impact: a few short recordings across the year, plus one example of pupil composition.
Kidstrument can keep this lean. Tracking and Reporting gives a view of coverage and outcome progression without extra spreadsheets. If staff want short handover notes after a lesson, Assessment and Notes supports quick reflections that stay teacher owned.
For subject specific curriculum thinking, read the Ofsted music research review alongside your curriculum: Research review series: music.
Two classroom examples to keep your answers grounded
Year 2, 30 minutes, blues call and response
What pupils do: Pupils pat a steady pulse on knees while listening to a short backing. They echo two bar rhythm phrases from the teacher, then create a four beat spoken lyric about a train journey and fit it to the pulse.
What the teacher says: I keep the pulse. You copy the rhythm. Pulse stays steady even when rhythm changes. Then Your words must fit four beats. Whisper it once while counting, then perform it.
What gets checked: The teacher listens for pupils who speed up. The class repeats for eight beats only, then returns to the full phrase. Exit question: Which stayed steady, pulse or rhythm.
Year 5, 40 minutes, funk groove and ensemble timing
What pupils do: Pupils build a desk drumming groove in layers, then transfer it to untuned percussion. Half the class holds the groove while the other half performs a syncopated rhythm. Pupils compose a one bar rhythm that fits and perform it as a round.
What the teacher says: Listen for the backbeat. If you cannot hear it, you are playing too loudly. Before playing: Eyes up, silent count in, then play together.
What gets checked: After eight bars, the teacher asks two pupils to describe what helped the ensemble stay together, then repeats aiming for cleaner starts and endings.
Mini case study
A small primary with mixed age classes had music taught by three adults. Lessons were enjoyable, but staff struggled to explain progression. The subject lead made one decision: keep the same skill sequence in every class, then vary repertoire by term. Staff rehearsed the shared pulse and rhythm definitions and used the same end check question. Within half a term, lesson starts were calmer and teachers could describe what pupils were improving from one week to the next.
Deep dive rehearsal checklist
- One minute explanation of progression using three milestones: end of Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6.
- One detailed lesson walk through, including exact teacher language and the end check.
- Shared definitions for pulse, rhythm and pitch used by every adult who teaches music.
- A simple way to show coverage and one gap you are already addressing.
FAQ
Do we have to follow the Model Music Curriculum?
No scheme is required. The Model Music Curriculum is guidance, not statutory, but it can help you review sequencing and repertoire choices: Model Music Curriculum.
What if staff worry they will say the wrong thing?
Give everyone two anchor lessons and a shared script for pulse, rhythm and pitch. The goal is clarity and consistency, not perfect phrasing.
How much evidence is enough for music?
A small, well chosen set beats a large folder. Prioritise sequencing, a couple of lesson examples, and a few recordings that show improvement over time.
Where does wider national guidance fit?
The national plan can support your rationale for enrichment and partnership working: The power of music to change lives: a national plan for music education.
Primary music assessment with minimal marking: a workable model
Music assessment in primary can drift into paperwork because leaders want assurance and teachers want something they can manage. The trap is turning musical learning into boxes to tick. A workable model keeps assessment inside the lesson, collects a small amount of proof, and summarises progress without piles of written marking.
Two documents help you keep the focus right: the statutory curriculum expectations for music and how inspection gathers evidence. Use these as your anchor, not a spreadsheet template. National curriculum in England: music programmes of study and School inspection operating guide for inspectors for use from November 2025.
Myth vs reality in minimal-marking music assessment
Myth: music needs written evidence every lesson
Reality: the clearest evidence is often heard and seen. A short audio clip, a teacher observation and one agreed success check can show progression more honestly than a worksheet.
Myth: assessment means grading every child
Reality: in music, the priority is whether pupils are improving at the intended curriculum content. You can track class trends and targeted pupils without turning every activity into a judgement.
Myth: you must assess everything all the time
Reality: pick a small set of assessment lenses that rotate across the term. This protects teaching time and keeps staff consistent.
Myth: confidence comes from detailed rubrics
Reality: confidence comes from shared language and shared checks. Clear phrasing beats a complicated grid.
What to standardise across the school
Standardisation is not about making lessons identical. It is about making assessment predictable, so anyone can explain what is being checked and why.
1. A three-check routine that fits inside lessons
- Check A, pulse and timing: can pupils keep a steady pulse while something else changes.
- Check B, musical memory: can pupils repeat or recognise a pattern after one listen.
- Check C, expressive choice: can pupils describe and apply a simple musical decision, such as louder for a climax or a softer ending.
These checks cover performance and listening without extra marking. They can be done as a quick show, sing, clap, or a one-sentence response from a few pupils.
2. Shared success criteria in plain words
- Pulse: everyone starts together after a silent count in and stays with the group for eight beats.
- Rhythm: the pattern is accurate, including rests, and fits the bar.
- Pitch: the starting note is matched and the melody moves in the right direction.
- Listening: pupils name one feature they can hear and point to where it happens.
If you use Kidstrument, the built-in Teacher Notes help staff use consistent prompts and spot common misconceptions without writing new guidance from scratch.
3. One agreed way to capture evidence
Choose one option and stick to it:
- Audio clips: 20 seconds per class, once per half term, stored in a shared folder with the date and year group.
- Photo of a working wall: one photo per unit showing vocabulary and a simple notation example.
- Teacher quick note: one sentence after the lesson naming what improved and what needs repeating.
Kidstrument can reduce the need for separate records because lesson completion and coverage can be viewed through Tracking and Reporting. Use that for overview, then keep your extra evidence light.
Two lesson snapshots that show the model in action
Year 1, 25 minutes, pulse and pattern. Pupils start with a visual rhythm warm up, then copy a two-beat clap pattern. The teacher says, Find the steady heartbeat first. Keep it going while I change the pattern. Check A is simple: pupils march the pulse while clapping the rhythm. The teacher listens for drifting tempo and stops for a reset count in, then repeats for eight beats. Evidence: one 15 second audio clip of the class clapping and marching together.
Year 4, 40 minutes, listening and expressive choice. Pupils listen to a short track and identify instruments, then rehearse a class performance with dynamics. The teacher says, Show me the difference between quiet and loud without rushing. Check C is the focus: pupils perform the same phrase twice, first piano then forte, while the class describes what changed. Evidence: a photo of the vocabulary list and one short recording of the final performance ending.
For ready-to-use activities that fit these checks, the Activities library and the interactive Teaching Tools can support quick practice without extra preparation.
What to personalise for your context
Once the checks and language are fixed, the flexible parts become easier to manage. Personalise the elements that genuinely depend on your setting.
1. Your timetable and lesson shape
If music is weekly, the three checks can rotate across lessons. If music is taught in blocks, run Check A at the start of each session to re-sync the group, then choose either Check B or Check C based on the main task.
2. Your instrument and ensemble choices
If you use class ukuleles, define a simple progression for assessment: steady down strum in time, two-chord change without stopping, then a short accompaniment pattern. If you use untuned percussion, build progression through coordination and control of dynamics.
3. Your approach to inclusion without extra paperwork
Keep the musical goal the same, then adjust the route. For example, a pupil may tap the pulse on a drum while others clap a rhythm. A pupil may sing just the starting note and the final note of a phrase while building confidence. Record the adaptation in one phrase only when it affects future teaching.
4. Your simple assessment cycle for each half term
- Week 1: establish Check A as a routine and agree vocabulary for the unit.
- Weeks 2 to 4: teach normally, with one short Check B or Check C each lesson.
- Week 5: capture one class audio clip and identify one gap to revisit.
- Week 6: repeat the gap activity and note whether it improved.
If you use a published scheme outside Kidstrument, keep assessment language aligned to that scheme. For example, Charanga describes structured primary units and progression on its official pages. Charanga Musical School programme.
Mini case study: one decision that cut workload fast
A one-form entry school had five different music record sheets in use. Teachers were writing comments, but leaders could not see patterns across year groups. The subject lead made one decision: replace written comments with a half-term cycle of one audio clip plus a single class note linked to the three checks. Staff rehearsed the same four success criteria for pulse, rhythm, pitch and listening. After one term, teachers reported less admin, and leaders could describe strengths and gaps with examples from recordings and lesson routines.
The change also improved teaching. Teachers stopped chasing paper evidence and spent that time repeating the exact musical spot that pupils found tricky, often just eight beats at a time.
FAQ
How do we show progression without levels?
Use a small set of criteria that describe improvement, such as staying in time for longer, copying a longer pattern, or making a clearer dynamic contrast. Keep the language consistent across year groups.
What evidence should the subject lead keep?
A half-termly audio clip per class, one photo of vocabulary or notation from each unit, and a brief overview of coverage is usually enough. The subject report on music gives helpful context on what inspection looks for in curriculum and teaching. Subject report series: music.
Do pupils need written work for composing?
Not always. Younger pupils can record a spoken rhythm, perform a pattern, or explain a choice. Older pupils might jot a simple graphic or rhythm notation, but the performance and explanation remain the main evidence.
How do we keep assessment manageable for mixed-age classes?
Keep the three checks the same, then vary the expected complexity. For example, the same pulse check can run in Years 3 and 4, while the rhythm task differs in length and use of rests.
What if staff feel unsure about judging pitch?
Keep it narrow. Check whether pupils match the starting note, then whether the melody moves up or down correctly. Build from there, using short call-and-response phrases and repetition.