Performing Arts

Performing Arts Curriculum

The purpose of students learning through Performing Arts is threefold. Firstly, to build life skills through teamwork, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. Secondly, to raise self esteem through building skills across a wide range of performance and rehearsal opportunities. And thirdly, to encourage a life-long love of learning and self expression through the arts. 

The curriculum has been designed to include a range of influences from differing cultures, countries and genres. Taking inspiration and studying a range of practitioners; neurotypical and neurodiverse. The curriculum is designed so that as the students go through the years, key skills and knowledge are revisited and built upon to ensure a deep and full mastery.

Supporting Reading

Subject disciplinary literacy is taught explicitly in Performing Arts with key words identified and introduced at the start of topics and revisited regularly to aid retention. Specific key words are highlighted in green to give focus in each lesson. Words mats, matching words, supporting images and examples are all used to introduce key vocabulary. Repetition of new and key vocabulary is used to support learning and to give students context to use these words.

In Performing Arts, the ‘incidental teaching’ of phonics using Abbey Phonics supports both decoding and encoding. Scripts are used to give a consistent approach across the school. 

Where possible, stories are used to bring ideas to life, to give context to learning and to support retention. 

Widgit symbols are used in addition to text to support comprehension for students when reading.

In Performing Arts, we provide regular opportunities for students to read a range of different texts. We encourage students to read for learning, moving beyond the mechanics of reading to gathering meaning and information from the text. We also give recommendations of reading materials to encourage reading beyond the classroom.

Students have access to headsets & Chromebooks where they can use the dictation feature or use the Select to Speak tool, reading selected text to the user.

Year 7 Overview

Year 8 & 9 Overview

Cycle 1

Cycle 2

Year 10 & 11 Overview

Cycle 1/ Year 10

Cycle 2/ Year 11

Assessment

Students are assessed through continual in class formative assessment. The assessment is focussed on effort and matching the lesson aims rather than specific attainment. In KS4 the students will have the opportunity to complete unit awards and an Arts Award (Discover/ Explore). 

The formative assessment completed in class allows for the curriculum to be adapted to suit and be individualised for each student. As Performing Arts is comprised of three subjects; Dance, Music & Drama, students are able to demonstrate strengths and enjoyment in a range of differing roles and skills.

Enrichment Opportunities

There is a vast amount of enrichment opportunities for Performing Arts as we believe the subject can come to life through seeing the ‘bigger picture’. 

Some of these include:

• Trips to local theatres to tour the backstage and gain an understanding of additional roles within a theatre

• Whole school event days from RockSteady - where all students were given the opportunity to learn a rock instrument, form a band and learn a whole song!

• Whole school events to build understanding of various cultures, such as Diwali Dance Day.

• Trips to the Royal Opera House to watch a professional performance of Swan Lake

• Visiting professional dance companies to lead creative workshops for the students.

• Links with the Royal Opera House to view live performances and join in with songs learnt.

• Strong links with Farnham Maltings, a local theatre.