Performing Arts

In This Section…

Drama

What does it mean to be a Drama Practitioner?

A Drama practitioner will be able to think and express themselves with flair and confidence and to encourage tolerance and understanding. Drama students, through practical role-play and written drama activities experience the world around them and begin to appreciate situations from more than one perspective. Through drama, students question and challenge their perception of the world and develop many soft skills.

Drama practitioners will show;

  • Confidence & Communication – A command over their vocal and physical skills to allow them to approach a wide range of public speaking with confidence
  • Concentration – Working on intricate projects over extended periods of time
  • Empathy & sensitivity – Understanding the viewpoints and emotions of a range of characters
  • Co-operation & team-work skills – Getting the best out of each other when striving towards a common goal
  • Commitment & self-discipline – Encouraged and helped to excel when challenged, developing resilience and grit
  • Creativity – An understanding of the benefits of participation in the arts, performance and creativity during their time with us at Parklands and throughout their lives.
  • Evaluation & appreciation – An appreciation of the ways in which playwrights achieve their effects and communicate their intentions to an audience and an ability to evaluate their own and others’ work.

The key concepts in drama are skill driven and aim to build personal skills which can be relied upon to succeed, not only in drama lessons but beyond school life and in future employment. At the heart of drama is the development of these skills in all young people; engagement, communication and oracy, creative imagination, clarity of expression, autonomy, leadership confidence and cooperation. There is more to drama than being able to perform on stage. Opportunities are embedded for students to be able to hone and develop performance talent but equally important is the ability to understand the purpose of the theatre we create. Methodologies of theatrical practitioners are introduced throughout the key stages to enable students not only to ‘re-enact’ but to shape their own unique ideas with a greater understanding of the need for style, intention, theatrical form and to learn to celebrate individual and unique perspectives.

The curriculum is structured based on the expectations for BTEC Drama; key concepts and skills required by the end of year 11 are fed down into schemes of work from Year 7 upwards. This is designed to raise expectations and standards from the start of Key Stage 3 and ensure that drama knowledge is being understood both practically and theoretically. A linear curriculum is in place at Key Stage 3. Year 7, 8 and 9 will all study the work of a key theatre practitioner during Autumn term, explore a text through performance during Spring term and put their skills into practice in Summer term, through exploration of a social, historical and cultural topic. This linear structure allows students to return to key concepts throughout the key stage but build on them to advance their knowledge further as the years progress.

 

Curriculum Maps

 

Music

Intent

Learning and undertaking activities in music contribute to achievement of the curriculum aims for all young people to become:

  • Successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
  • Confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
  • Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

The Importance of Music

Music is a unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act. Music forms part of an individual’s identity and positive interaction with music can develop student’s competence as learners and increase their self-esteem. Music brings together intellect and feeling and enables personal expression, reflection and emotional development. As an integral part of culture, past and present, music helps students understand themselves, relate to others and develop their cultural understanding, forging important links between home, school and the wider world.

Music education encourages active involvement in different forms of music-making, both individual and communal, helping to develop a sense of group identity and togetherness. Music can influence students’ development in and out of school by fostering personal development and maturity, creating a sense of achievement and self-worth, and increasing pupils’ ability to work with others in a group context.

Music learning develops students’ critical skills: their ability to listen, to appreciate a wide variety of music, and to make judgements about musical quality. It also increases self-discipline, creativity, aesthetic sensitivity and fulfilment.

 

Key Concept

There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of music. Students need to understand these concepts in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding.

 

Integration of practice

Developing knowledge, skills and understanding through the integration of performing, composing and listening.

Participating, collaborating and working with others as musicians, adapting to different musical roles and respecting the values and benefits others bring to musical learning.

 

Cultural understanding

Understanding musical traditions and the part music plays in national and global culture and in personal identity.

Exploring how ideas, experiences and emotions are conveyed in a range of music from different times and cultures.

 

Critical understanding

Engaging with and analysing music, developing views and justifying opinions.

Drawing on experience of a wide range of musical contexts and styles to inform judgements.

 

Creativity

Using existing musical knowledge, skills and understanding for new purposes and in new contexts.

Exploring ways music can be combined with other art forms and other subject disciplines.

 

Communication

Exploring how thoughts, feelings, ideas and emotions can be expressed through music.

 

Implementation

Key Processes

These are the essential skills and processes in music that pupils need to learn to make progress.

 

Performing, composing and listening

Students should be able to:

  • sing in group contexts, developing vocal techniques and musical expression
  • perform with control of instrument-specific techniques and musical expression
  • practise, rehearse and perform with awareness of different parts, the roles and contributions of different members of the group, the audience and venue
  • create, develop and extend musical ideas by selecting and combining resources within musical structures, styles, genres and traditions
  • improvise, explore and develop musical ideas when performing
  • listen with discrimination and internalise and recall sounds
  • identify the expressive use of musical elements, devices, tonalities and structures.

 

Reviewing and evaluating

Students should be able to:

  • analyse, review, evaluate and compare pieces of music
  • identify conventions and contextual influences in music of different styles, genres and traditions
  • communicate ideas and feelings about music, using expressive language and musical vocabulary to justify their opinions
  • adapt their own musical ideas and refine and improve their own and others’ work.
  • This section outlines the breadth of the subject on which teachers should draw when teaching the key concepts and key processes.

 

Range and Content

The study of music includes:

  • performance activities in a range of contexts within and beyond the classroom
  • a range of live and recorded music from different times and cultures
  • a range of classical and popular traditions and current trends in music that reflect cultural diversity and a global dimension
  • staff notation and other relevant notations in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions
  • consideration of contextual influences that affect the way music is created, performed and heard
  • the use of music technologies to create, manipulate and refine sounds
  • the role of music and musicians in society, of the music industry and of artistic and intellectual property rights.

 

Curriculum Opportunities

During each key stage students are offered the following opportunities that are integral to their learning and enhance their engagement with the concepts, processes and content of the subject.

The curriculum should provide opportunities for pupils to:

  • develop individual performance skills, both vocal and instrumental, including the use of music technology
  • develop listening and aural perception skills in practical activities, including composing and performing
  • develop creative and compositional skills, including song writing, arranging and improvising
  • work with a range of musicians and watch and listen to live musical performances where possible, to extend their musical learning
  • work individually, in musical groups of different sizes and as a class
  • build on their own interests and skills, taking on different roles and responsibilities and developing music leadership skills
  • make links between music and other subjects and areas of the curriculum

 

Curriculum Maps