MUSIC & DANCE/ DRAMA

Teaching Staff

Faculty Aims and Objectives

The Performing Arts faculty aims to promote confidence; encourage creativity; opportunity for all; develop a range of life long skills including: group work; listening and communication skills; critical thinking and enquiry. We aim to do this within the framework of an all-inclusive environment.

Facilities

• Drama - State of the art theatre fully equipped with lighting and sound rig. 
• Four large drama studios.
• Dance - A modern dance studio with sprung floor, mirrors and ballet technique bar.
• Music -2 fully equipment music computer rooms with a range of sequencing software and midi keyboards.
• 1 classroom with 27 keyboards.
• 3 music practice rooms with a drum kit, keyboard, bass guitar amp, 2 guitar amps and P.A. system in each room.
• Music recording studio. Silent recording space.

Key Stage 3 Overview

Drama is taught as a discrete subject at KS3 through a combination of devising and script work covering a range of genres.

In Music at KS3 pupils look at a wide range of musical styles and skills. These include listening and appreciation, keyboard skills, composing music, music sequencing, and the crucial elements of music.

Key Stage 4 Overview

Dance and Drama
Students will follow the Btec Tech Award in Performing Arts for their chosen discipline. They will cover three components:

Component 1 – Exploring the Performing Arts. Students will develop their understanding of the performing arts by examining practitioners’ work and the processes used to create a performance.
Component 2 – Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts. Students will develop their performing arts skills and techniques through the reproduction of acting or dance repertoire.

Both of these components are internally assessed.

Component 3 – Performing to a Brief. This component is externally assessed. Students will be given the opportunity to work as part of a group to create a workshop performance in response to a given brief and stimulus.

Assessment for all components is a combination of both practical and written work.

Music
Music is an option and students will follow the AQA GCSE Music Syllabus.
This course incorporates the fundamental musical skills of composition, performance and listening. The students have to perform as a soloist and as part of a group which can be done in a variety of performance settings. They must also complete two compositions using industry standard software. Recordings of these compositions and performances are completed in our fully working recording studio.  There is also a listening and appraising examination that tests the students’ knowledge of key styles and aspects of music as well as their knowledge of specifically studied pieces of music. All students have a one to one instrumental lesson each week to learn and build on their instrumental skills.

Extra Curricular Activities