Safeguarding musical progression in a cross-curricular planning approach in primary schools

Cross-curricular learning can be a fantastic tool for capturing students’ attention and inspiring them to learn and make connections across subjects. However, with a subject like music, which relies on the progressive development of skills (rather than the amassing of non-linear knowledge), a topic-based approach can be problematic. As Mills (2005) noted ‘It is difficult to believe that anyone actually tries to teach music unmusically. Why should they want to do that? So, what is it that sometimes stops hard-working, thinking, committed music teachers from teaching musically: through musical activity in a way that leads students – all students – to make progress as musicians?’ I would argue that in a primary school context, it is often the adoption of topic-based learning that leads to an unmusical approach to the planning and delivery of music. In the words of Gazard (2010), ‘The challenge to be overcome is this: in almost all cases music will come second in the thou