Performing Arts Staff
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Mark Chutter -Curriculum Leader
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Mr Harris -Music Teacher
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Mrs Barker -Dance Teacher
Why Performing Arts is important
A high quality Performing Arts curriculum inspires all students to succeed and excel within a performance based artistic discipline. The intent of the curriculum is to provide students with opportunities to experience and develop confidence and appreciation within the Performing Arts. By studying the Performing Arts, students will develop confidence and expertise in an artistic, creative and aesthetic capacity. Students will also develop numerous ‘hidden curriculum’ life-long skills such as confidence, empathy, communication, collaboration, problem solving, perseverance and leadership. The Performing Arts curriculum will challenge students’ concepts and views with the intent to foster an awareness and aim to develop:
- Emotional intelligence.
- Creativity, allowing students the confidence to express themselves.
- Motor skills and movement memory.
- Confidence, encouraging students to experience working beyond their comfort zone.
- Decision making skills exploring how to reflect and make choices within the work.
- Perseverance, learning that success will come from making mistakes.
- Collaboration and leadership skills.
KS3 Performing Arts is taught in the three separate subject areas of Dance, Drama and Music. Students experience one Performing Arts lesson covering Dance and Drama and one Music lesson per fortnight over the three years of KS3. The KS3 Performing Arts curriculum is designed around the three core skills of performance, composition and appreciation that underpin Dance, Drama Music and the Performing Arts courses at KS4 and within the public examination system. The curriculum starts with building foundation skills which will allow all students to progress within each discipline. As new skills are introduced, subject specific vocabulary is used as common language to allow students to develop their confidence and competence with the physical skill and appropriate terminology. Delivery of all lessons is via practical work and units of study have been designed around a central theme which students are introduced to. A series of lessons for each unit will develop knowledge, understanding and ability through the guided practical exploration of the particular theme. The themes are culturally, socially and historically rich to challenge and inspire a student’s understanding and appreciation of the Performing Arts.
At KS4 the Performing Arts are delivered as single subject option choices and students receive three lessons per timetable cycle.
Click to view BTEC specification – Tech Award Performing Arts
The BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts Dance Route follows project based assignment briefs for the first two components. Students study three dance genres and develop skill sets required under teacher direction before undertaking the project tasks under teacher guidance. The skill sets required are in performance, composition and appreciation, and the personal learning skills are then applied by the students in the completion of the externally assessed, component three controlled assessment.
Click to view GCSE specification – Drama
GCSE Drama follows units of work exploring both practitioners’ styles and genres of drama. Appreciation skills are developed while practically exploring and experimenting with dramatic conventions and techniques in producing and realising a piece of original theatre. Knowledge, understanding and appreciation are developed via discussion, reflection, observation and written tasks. Students then draw on a broad skill base acquired for the practical linear assessments.
Click to view BTEC specification – Tech Award Music
The BTEC Tech Award in Music Practice follows project based assignment briefs for the first two components. Students study music products and styles developing the skill set required under teacher direction before undertaking the project tasks under teacher guidance. The skill sets required are in performance and composing and the personal learning skills are then applied by the students in the completion of the externally assessed, component three controlled assessment.
The Performing Arts are a powerful and empowering form of non-verbal communication. They are both physical and expressive, making them different to other art forms and physical activities. Above and beyond examination results, the Performing Arts develop creative, imaginative, physical, emotional, empathetic, and intellectual thinkers and problem solving collaborative team workers.
‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.’
Einstein
