Creative and Performing Arts

Art curriculum intent statement  
Our Art curriculum develops creativity within our students. We provide students with practical skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography, which will enable them to pursue their own creative projects and ideas. We instil within our students the creative thinking skills required for innovative solutions in any situation, and an understanding of the application of creativity in the workplace. We also develop a love of the visual arts, and an understanding of, and respect for, the visual culture of Great Britain, Europe and the wider world.  

Design and Technology curriculum intent statement 
Our Design and Technology curriculum encourages students to be independent problem solvers using the knowledge and skills required to produce imaginative and create prototypes and become the designers and makers of the future. Our diverse curriculum explores product design, graphics, textiles, and electronics. We also engage students with a Food Technology programme which includes healthy eating and the production of meals to sustain and enrich the lives of our students in the future, whether that be through cooking at home, or in a professional capacity in the hospitality and catering industry. 

Drama curriculum intent statement 
Our Drama curriculum develops creative, experimental, and ambitious performers. The planned, knowledge-rich learning nurtures students’ confidence and prepares students for future challenges in both academic and personal fields. The curriculum is designed to embed drama terminology, advance performance skills and application and provide students with the opportunity to communicate on both an emotional and academic level. Students will recognise and explore cultures, society, and historical drama to enhance knowledge and experiences, forming tolerance, empathy, and respect for diversity. Students will understand and analyse their own and other performances. Our inclusive curriculum is constructed to build a safe and secure learning atmosphere in which students feel comfortable, and able to learn from mistakes.

Music curriculum intent statement
Our Music curriculum is built on the principles of performing, composing and listening, while finding enjoyment in discovering the best of our diverse musical cultures. Listening to and performing music is a fundamental part of life and participating in musical experiences invokes feelings of community, happiness and mental wellbeing. Those who pursue mastery in the subject can develop enhanced resilience, empathy, creativity, and collaborative skills. Through class-based learning, extra-curricular offers, and opportunities to participate in and listen to live music, we work to nurture and uncover talent and lifelong passion in our students, providing opportunities for confident performers, creative composers and sensitive listeners. 

Detailed curriculum intent statements can be accessed here

Key Stage 3 Art
The formal elements – line, tone, colour, shape, form, pattern, texture. Painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking. Indian art, Australian art, European and North American art, architecture.

Key Stage 4 GCSE Fine Art and GCSE Art Craft and Design

Both courses AQA

• Developing ideas through investigations into the properties of materials and the work of other artists, demonstrating critical understanding of the art of others.
• Refining work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
• Recording ideas, observations and insights through drawing, writing and photography. 
• Making personal and meaningful works of art that realise intentions and demonstrate understanding of visual language.

Fine Art

• working with oil paint
• working with sculptural materials
• working on a large scale
• writing in depth about art

Photography

• working with Adobe Photoshop and other editing software
• working with DSLR cameras and 35mm cameras
• working in the darkroom
• working with studio lighting

Key Stage 5 A Level Fine Art and A Level Photography

Both courses AQA

• developing ideas
• refining ideas
• recording
• making meaningful works of art

Key Stage 3 Design and technology
Development of design which includes: designing for a client, developing a design related to a brief, design movements and designers of the 20^th century, British designers, Modelling and prototype development, Use CAD and CAM including the laser cutter and 3D printers.

Materials and manufacture which include: woods, manufactured boards, natural textiles, polymers and metals. Skills including use of a wide range of tools in the workshop, dying, heat press and use of the sewing machine. Casting, cutting and shaping of metal.

Cooking and nutrition which includes
Use of vegetables and protein to create healthy snacks and meals that would be suitable for a family. The nutrition of different ingredients and what they do for the body. Allergens and which food contain them. Job roles in the hospitality and catering industry. Skills that include cutting, grating, slicing, simmering, boiling, frying, baking.

GCSE Design and Technology

AQA 

• Knowledge of all materials including wood, textiles, metals, paper card and board, polymers, smart materials, composites, technical textiles and modern materials.
• In depth study into the manufacturing processes of one or two of the above specialisms looking into the manufacturing techniques in school and in batch manufacture in industry
• Communication of ideas through a variety of drawing techniques.
• Learning about design movements, designers and companies from the past and now and looking at how design has changed over time.
• Understanding design in the human context and how we design for different types of people.
• Designing and developing prototypes related to a given brief that is researched and developed during year 11.

Hospitality and catering level 1/2

WJEC vocational qualification

• WJEC Level 1/2 Vocational Awards enable learners to gain knowledge, understanding and skills relating to a specific vocational sector.
• Learn about the hospitality and catering industry and the different jobs that are available from front of house to kitchen staff. This looks at how to be professional employee in this industry.
• Hygiene both in the school kitchen and within industry and safe working practices for a wide variety of catering activities.
• Dietary needs of different people including those that have special diets related to allergies, religion and medical illnesses.
• Skills learnt within the kitchen including: boiling, blanching, poaching, braising, steaming, baking, roasting, grilling (griddling), frying, chilling, cooling and hot holding. Presentation techniques are also learnt to enhance the work produced.

A Level Design and Technology: Product Design

AQA

• This creative and thought-provoking qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers in the creative industries.
• Students investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology
• Students look at products and learn about the materials and the manufacturing process for all the different types of materials including wood, metals, paper card and board, polymers, smart materials, composites and modern materials.
• Students work on their own design and make tasks and work on different briefs to learn a wide range of prototyping skills and computer aided design skills.
• Students develop their own problem solving skills to produce products that solve real life situations.

Key Stage 3 Drama
Students are taught the basic skills involved in assuming a role; animating dialogue through gesture movement and voice, interacting with characters and developing a sense of the dramatic narrative. They are taught mime and physical theatre and dance-drama, concentrating on the rudiments of body-language and simple gestures. They are also taught narrative based drama, mask and mime - building positive group dynamics; ritual; myths and legends; storytelling and script.

Key Stage 4 GCSE Drama

OCR

• Creating, devising, rehearsing, editing, performing, evaluating.
• Students gain a practical understanding of drama, and apply this knowledge to their performances as they develop their practical skills.
• Students research and explore a stimulus, work collaboratively and create their own devised drama. They complete a portfolio of evidence during the devising process, give a final performance of their drama, and write an evaluation of their own work.
• Students develop and apply theatrical skills in acting or design by presenting a showcase of two extracts from a performance text.
• Students explore practically a whole performance text, and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how drama is developed, performed and responded to. They also analyse and evaluate a live theatre performance

Key Stage 5 A Level Drama and Theatre

OCR

• All components include synoptic assessment.
• Students must complete four components.
• Students participate in two performance components as either a performer or a designer (lighting, sound, set or costume). One of these is a performance from a text, the other a devised performance based on and influenced by their research into the work of others.
• Component group 1: Practitioners in practice.  Students explore practically the work of theatre practitioners and use the skills gained to explore text and create devised theatre.
• Component 2: Exploring and performing texts.  Students explore one performance text in its entirety and perform part of the text, applying the relevant skills to communicate the meaning in a performance text to an audience.
• Component 3: Analysing performance.  Students explore practically two performance texts on a chosen theme, and analyse and evaluate live theatre.
• Component 4: Deconstructing texts for performance.  Students will interpret and explore practically a performance text considering how to create, develop and direct a performance for an audience.

Key Stage 3 Music
Performing: keyboards, string instruments including guitar and ukulele, percussion and singing.  Reading music, musical structure, musical genres: reggie, soul, rock’n’roll, punk, ska, folk. Composers including Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar.

Key Stage 4 GCSE Music

AQA

• Understanding, appraising, developing and demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of musical elements, musical context and musical language through listening to and studying the western classical music tradition, popular music styles and traditional music from around the world.
• Performing live music using one or both of the following ways:                      

a) instrumental, vocal (including DJ)  

b) production technology  

• Performing as a soloist and as part of an ensemble.
• Composing and developing convincing ideas, including extending and manipulating musical ideas. Developing a creative and effective selection and use of musical elements.  Demonstrating technical and expressive control in the use of musical elements using instruments and the Sibelius software composition programme.

Creative and Performing Arts Recovery Curriculum Information can be found here

Extra-curricular clubs and visits organised by the Creative faculty

Art:                                        Key Stage 3 Art Club, Architecture Club, GCSE Club

Design and Technology:    Key Stage 3 DT Club, GCSE Club, Textiles Club, Green Power, 3-D Printer Club

Drama:                                 School Production, Dance Show

Music:                                   School Choir, Rock Band rehearsal, Ensemble Groups