The Expressive Arts Faculty inspires a love of Music, Drama and Performing Arts in all pupils. We deliver a curriculum that helps pupils appreciate a range of different art forms, but simultaneously is a way to develop social and emotional intelligences. We provide opportunities for pupils to broaden their creativity and are an outward facing faculty enabling pupils to contribute to their local community.
Our curriculum is built on a spiral curriculum, revisiting skills each year to improve them, adding more detail and applying them to different situations.
We aim to:
- Provide a learning environment that pupils feel confident and safe in and are creative;
- Ensure schemes of learning provide understanding and exploration of how Expressive Arts subjects are created, produced and communicated, as stated in the national curriculum with clear progression;
- Ensure that all lessons meet pupils needs and provides support and challenge;
- Consistently achieve excellent exam results;
- Be a faculty where staff are provided with opportunities to continue their professional development to remain up to date with the knowledge needed to teach across the Key Stages;
- Provide opportunities outside of lessons that inspire pupils and involve them in experiences that are ‘bigger than themselves’;
- Involve schools in the Corinium Education Trust.
The Faculty is split into three areas:
Drama
We aim to use Drama as a tool to help develop our pupils into confident, creative individuals. The subject covers:
- Personal Development, such as analysis, questioning and acceptance of others
- Social Development, such as team work and negotiation, communication and presentation skills
- Creative Development, such as the fostering of original ideas.
Find out about each Key Stage in Drama:
Key Stage 3 Drama
Drama incorporates Creating, Performing and Appraising skills. Pupils will learn through a range of topical based schemes of learning, in which pupils will have the opportunity to explore and develop these three important skills, as well as several key transferrable skills, such as building confidence, teamwork and listening and learning from others.
We aim for all pupils to embrace drama and enjoy learning in this practical approach.Drama lessons cover a range of diverse and challenging topics and texts at all stages.
See KS3 Drama Learning Journey below.
Key Stage 4 Drama
At Key Stage 4, we build on the skills and knowledge taught in Key Stage 3. The GCSE specification we follow is the AQA specification which we believe builds on the skills and philosophy acquired through Key Stage 3, whilst developing the pupils’ interest in Theatre.
During the course pupils will explore texts, understand the making of characters and how they interact in their relationships with other characters and the audience. As part of the course they will work with professional theatre practitioners. This will give the opportunity to refine performance skills. Pupils will be expected to perform to audiences such as a primary school or parents, go on at least one live theatre trip and attend rehearsals which will take place out of lessons.
Assessment is in three forms: Practical Class Work, Performance and Final Written Exam.
Component 1 – Final written Exam 40%
Section A: multiple choice. Section B: four questions on a given extract from the set play Blood Brothers. Section C: one two part question (from a choice) on the work of theatre makers in a single live theatre production.
Component 2 – Devising log and performance 40% Process of creating devised drama, performing the work, and analysing and evaluating it.
Component 3 – Practical coursework 20% Practical performances of two extracts from a play.
See KS4 Drama Learning Journey below.
Music
Music encompasses Performance, Composition and Listening skills. It is the aim of the Music department to develop all three of these skills in a variety of ways, providing a balanced, exciting curriculum that embraces music from all over the world and also music spanning the last 200 years right up to the present day!
Find out about each Key Stage in Music:
Key Stage 3 Music
Pupils in Key Stage 3 learn largely through practical projects, giving them opportunities to develop composition, performing and listening skills. A music concept will regularly be learnt and explored through a practical task. During the three years, from Year 7 to Year 9, pupils will cover a wide variety of different aspects of music understanding. In lessons pupils will be encouraged to build on their own musical creativity, in addition to developing their independent learning skills.
See KS3 Music Learning Journey below.
Key Stage 4 Music
Pupils will learn through a balance of practical tasks and study. For example, often a concept is learnt and explored through a practical task. During the course pupils will cover four areas of study:
- Instrumental Music 1700-1820
- Vocal Music
- Music for Stage and Screen
- Fusions (World)
The course is broken up into 3 elements: Composition, Performance and Listening and Appraising. The assessment of the course is mostly coursework based and is a continual process. The course encourages students to develop their understanding and appreciation of a range of different kinds of music.
Studying Music will give students the opportunities to:
- Develop their compositional and arranging skills
- Learn how to use the music technology software GarageBand
- Develop their instrumental skills
- Study music from different times, places and cultures
Below is a breakdown of how the course is assessed and what is required for each component of the course:
30% Composition
Composition of 2 contrasting pieces with a total playing time not exceeding 5 minutes. Written evaluation of composition process and connections with area of study. Internally assessed, externally moderated.
30% Performance
Singing or playing a solo, accompanied or unaccompanied, with technical control, expression and interpretation. Performing a significant individual part which is not doubled, in an ensemble. Internally assessed, externally moderated.
40% Listening and Appraising
Listening paper (June of Year 11) – 1½ hours. Analysing and evaluating music using a musical terminology. Pupils will study eight set works in class across the two years. They will then be asked about this in an exam, and you will need to make comparisons with other pieces of music.
See KS4 Music Learning Journey below.
Music Technology
The Level 2 Technical Award in Music Technology course is designed for those Key Stage 4 pupils who are interested in music and the music industry and wish to develop and practice skills using a variety of sound equipment and software.
To deliver the course the school has a suite of Mac computers running a software program called Logic.
The course is made up of key content areas which are explored through practical project work. They are:
- Understanding the place of music technology within the music business
- Understanding and applying skills when using a digital audio workstation
- Analysing the developments in musical styles enabled by technology
- Understanding how a range of sounds are used in different forms of media
- Understanding, planning, and undertaking multitrack recording using related equipment
There are two assessments that determine the grade awarded at the end of the qualification:
- Written exam – this tests pupils’ understanding of key concepts and terminology within the context of how music technology is used in real world examples.
- NEA (non-exam assessment) – this is an extended project assessment in which pupils must show the application of the skills they have learnt through the key content areas listed above. The exam board set a brief for this project each year.
See KS4 Music Tech Learning Journey below.