Music and drama are central to life at Tunstall — vital, joyful and powerful vehicles for developing the whole child.
Our curriculum uses the Discovery approach to give every child frequent, purposeful opportunities to sing, play, compose and perform. Learning music develops physical coordination, listening, pattern recognition and the mathematical skills needed to keep a steady pulse; these skills are deliberately taught and linked to wider learning so that musical progress supports reading, maths, oracy and creative thinking. Drama complements this by building confidence, empathy and expressive language: children learn to inhabit character, structure a story, present to an audience and collaborate with others in imaginative, risk-taking ways.
We are ambitious: through our Music Plus programme every child will learn to play a musical instrument (in addition to voice) before leaving Tunstall, and all KS2 children are offered further peripatetic lessons across a range of instruments. Music and drama are woven into Discovery topics, enriched by peripatetic teaching, after-school clubs, ensemble rehearsals, community partnerships and cross-school performances. Assessment focuses on progression in technique, creativity and performance confidence rather than single outputs; children plan, rehearse, reflect and refine — moving from imitation to composition and independent performance. The result is a vibrant, inclusive arts offer that nurtures resilience, cultural curiosity and the practical, transferable skills pupils need to flourish now and in the future.