The Performing Arts department consists of 3 specialist teachers in the three main disciplines – Dance, Drama & Music. As a department, we endeavour to share our passion and enthusiasm about our subject to inspire our students, providing them with the best prospects in life.   

Head of Performing Arts: Miss N Miller 

Drama Teacher: Mr. C Walker-Patel 

Music Teacher: Mr. P Houlton 

Performing Arts means practically exploring performance methods and techniques, as well as developing analytical skills through evaluation of live and recorded work. Performing Arts also means the use of drama, dance and music techniques to explore issue-based work relating personal development. Its study will require learners to question the purpose of performance and the intention of a range of choreographers/practitioners/musicians and dance companies/playwrights in their creation of performance work. They will also explore their own creative intention and develop their personal performance skills in expressing their thoughts and ideas through the medium of the performing arts.

KS3 rotation  

Students in Year 7 to 9 will have an 8-week rotation accessing 2 lessons a week in Dance, Drama and Music.  

Our KS3 Drama curriculum will give students the opportunity to: 

Our KS3 Dance curriculum will give students the opportunity to: 

Our KS3 Music curriculum will give students the opportunity to: 

Keys Stage 4 

Level 1/2 BTEC Technical Award in Performing Arts (Dance or Drama focus) 

In Year 10 students will study Component 1 and Component 2 (60% of their overall BTEC). 

Component One- Exploring the Performing Arts (30% of overall grade) 

Students will gain knowledge of the requirements for being a performer across studying a range of performances and performance styles. Students will look at elements such as roles, responsibilities and the application of relevant skills and techniques. Students will examine a minimum of three pieces of professional performances and understand the constituent features of that work and the practitioner’s processes and approaches alongside their creative intentions and purpose.  

Component Two- Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts (30% of overall grade) 

Students will develop their performing arts skills and techniques through the reproduction of acting/dance repertoire as a performer or take a production role e.g. costume or hair and makeup designer. They will require to apply skills and techniques and practices that enable them to produce and interpret the professional performance work. The students will need to communicate the stylistic features and intentions of that chosen practitioner to an audience. Throughout their development, they will review their own progress and consider how to make improvements through milestone recordings. The students will then perform a minimum of 2 minutes professional repertoire and then review their development through evaluations. 

In Year 11 students will study Component 3 (40% of their overall BTEC). 

Component Three- Performing to a Brief (40% of overall grade) 

This is an external component where students will be given the opportunity to work as a part of a group to contribute to a workshop performance in response to a given brief and stimulus. The students will be given the brief that outlines the performance requirements and that asks you to consider your target audience and to start the creative process by using the given stimulus included in the brief. Working as a group, Students will develop ideas for a workshop performance and apply skills and techniques to communicate the creative intention to their audience. Students will achieve 4 controlled assessments that include an ideas log, a skills log, one workshop performance and an evaluation of your overall final workshop performance. 

BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Music Practice 

In Year 10 students will study Component 1 and Component 2 (60% of their overall BTEC). 

Component One: Exploring Music products and styles 

Students will explore the techniques used in the creation of different musical products and investigate the key features of different musical styles and genres. They will develop and understand different types of music products and the techniques used to create them. 

Component Two: Music Skills Development 

Students will have the opportunity to develop 2 musical disciplines through engagement in practical tasks, while documenting their progress and planning for further improvement. As a performer, students will need to continually develop their skills and techniques to be successful and secure a regular flow of gigs and commissions. Students will participate in workshops where they will develop technical, performance, personal and professional skills and specialise in 2 of the following areas: music performance, creating original music and music production. 

In Year 11 students will study Component 3 (40% of their overall BTEC). 

Component Three: Responding to a commercial music brief. 

Students will be given the opportunity to develop and present music responses to a given commercial music brief. Students will work with their strengths and interests and apply the skills that you have learned throughout your course in a practical way. Students will focus on a particular area of the music industry that excites and appeals to them and respond to a commercial music brief as a composer or performer. 

Extra-curricular opportunities 

The Performing Arts Department runs an extensive extracurricular programme throughout the year giving all students an opportunity to represent the school through performance platforms and competitions. Events students have had up to date is participating at the Great Big Dance Off National Competition, Shakespeare Schools Festival, School Variety Shows and school productions such as MCA’s Got Talent, ‘Matilda’ and ‘Shrek’. We thrive in providing enrichment trips to theatre productions, industry workshops, educational visits to support learning at KS4, as well as residential trips to London. We aim to give our students as many amazing opportunities as possible which will create memories that will last a lifetime.