Performing Arts

Faculty Leader - (Ms G Walsh) 

Follow us on Instagram @performingartshalewood and on Twitter @halewooddancesquad

The Performing Arts at Halewood Academy is designed to engage, inspire and encourage the participation and appreciation of the performing arts, enabling students to participate in community projects and Further Education.

Our Performing Arts curriculum is designed to:

Allow the students to explore a spiral curriculum where they learn new skills whilst returning to previous topics/themes /skills in order to develop their long term memory.

Students build on their KS2 skills of creating, performing and evaluating/appraising in dance, drama and music at KS3. Students are taught new skills and knowledge in each key stage however, from year 7, they establish the new skills, build on these skills and refine them skills in year 8 whilst developing them further through mastery within year 9. Within, KS4 student’s skills are enhanced and more depth and breadth is given to explore more complex skills within creating, performing and evaluation/appraisal.

The intentions and expectations are the performing arts curriculum are too:

• Develop students' understanding of the Dance, Drama and Music world through theoretical and practical approaches.
• To develop the love of learning across each performing arts subject area or across the all.
• To develop transferable skills and employability skills.
• To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of SMSC, PHSE issues, RSE, British Values, the schools core values (RACER)
• Whilst supporting the development of student skills for their future careers
• Gaining knowledge of culture capital
• Engage, inspire students and develop their love of learning in by delivering a diverse, engaging and challenging curriculum across all Performing Arts subjects.
• Create and build on existing skills and knowledge to consolidate the learning and to encourage all students towards a fulfilling career in the Performing Arts industry, where applicable.
• Encourage students’ to explore their potential and develop their creative talents.
• Stimulating an interest in, and enjoyment of, Dance, Drama and Music.
• Providing a relevant Dance, Drama and Music curriculum that develop their creative, physical, emotional, intellectual capacity and Well-being of the students
• Value and respect the existence of the Performing Arts within our culture as an expression of individualism, collective beliefs, time and place.
• Understand the impact the Performing Arts has upon students’ life, their beliefs and their attitudes in society.
• Provide students’ with the opportunities to stay connected with society through participation and appreciation of the Performing Arts.
• Promote and develop pupil’s personal development through the performing arts curriculum and extracurricular provisions.

We aim to do this by:

Using the national curriculum guidance, PSHE curriculum themes and topics/issues that age related to ensure students can engage and the topics/work is related to them in their lives.

As the curriculum spiral across the performing arts with skills and topics being revisited at KS3 and KS4 whilst student acquire new knowledge. The depth and breadth of knowledge is explored deeper throughout KS3 and KS4 to support the progress of students and to prepare them for further education in performing arts or have a career in the performing arts industry. The skills build on their prior knowledge at KS2 within KS3 and from KS3 to KS4.

At Key stage 3, students complete a practical exploration of tasks within each lesson. In year 8 and 9, students carousel between the subjects dance and drama throughout the academic year to ensure they have a broad and balanced curriculum and refine and master the appraotaite skills in preparation for KS4. Some of the topics explored at both keys stage 3 and 4 are explored in other subjects for example, in English, Romeo and Juliet play, Our Day Out and Blood Brothers. The three curriculums in the performing arts often spiral each other through developing the core skills of creating, performing and evaluating. This helps to strengthen the student’s skills in these areas.

Across the performing arts we provide a number of opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular opportunities where students can create and rehearse their performance and creative work. We also, provide peripatetic lessons to students of whom want to develop and refine their skills in a specific area with a musical instrument.

Assessments across the performing arts are completed through consistent use of questioning, reviewing tasks and regular verbal feedback through peer, teacher, self-assessment are embed throughout the lesson. At KS4, students are also provided with written feedback.

The purpose is to check the understanding of learning from the students and to inform future lessons and the sequencing of lessons. The lesson follow the RAMAR structure and the shole school focus on ‘I do, We do, You do’ to support positive student outcomes and support student in developing their long term memory.

The extra curricular provision in the department is extensive to allow students opportunities to develop their performance, creative and evaluative skills whilst nurturing their talents. In dance, students learn a variety of dance styles and perform in the annual Pantomime/Musical, Dance performance and Performing Arts Showcase. In drama, students have opportunities to experience and participate in the Pantomime/Musical, and the Performing Arts showcase. In music, students have opportunities to perform alongside a variety of choirs and musicians across the local community in the Christmas concert, uptake peripatetic lessons and perform in the Christmas Pantomime and Performing Arts Showcase.

What do we expect learners to get from studying in the Performing Arts?

• Students will develop their creative, performance and evaluative skills across the Performing Arts.
• Students become increasingly independent, building confidence in practical and data handling skills and greater depth of understanding in each topic studied through teaching a spiral curriculum across all year groups.
• Students develop an understanding of the Performing Arts industry in the wider world and the associated career opportunities regardless of background.
• Students develop the understanding and appreciation that the Performing Arts subjects can contribute towards their health through allowing opportunities for students’ to express themselves in order tomaintaining positive mental health and well-being.
• Students make a positive contribution to the learning of others through the development of their team-working and practical skills.
• Engaging and stimulating lessons lead to students enjoying lessons and making accelerated progress.
• The skills learnt across the performing arts will support the students with the tools with life skills that will support them in adapting during the current climate and with real life problems.
• Across each year, students will refine their transferable skills across each curriculum area to support them in their transition into their careers into the wider world.

Overview of Year 7-11 Curriculum Map

Our very talented Halewood House Band entertained the students with a variety of cover songs over their lunchtime this term. The students thoroughly enjoyed all the songs and even sang along to the melodies to create a great positive atmosphere within the school lunchtime.

Music Development Plan Support Documents

Music Development Plan - Wade Deacon Trust

Programme of Study/Specifications

The Key stage 3 (years 7-9) Programme of study:

Dance programmes of study: key stage 3

Drama programmes of study: key stage 3

Music programmes of study: key stage 3

The GCSE (years 10 & 11) specifications:

Dance specification – BTEC TECH Award in Performing Arts: Dance approach

Drama specification – AQA Drama

Music specification - Eduqas

Revision / Support Resources

Grade 9-1 GCSE Drama Blood Brothers –The Play Guide

GCSE English Blood Brothers -The Text Guide

WJEC/Eduqas Music Revision Guide