Performing Arts

Faculty Leader - (Ms G Walsh)

Our Performing Arts curriculum is designed to:

Students follow a spiral curriculum, allowing them to develop new skills while revisiting previous topics, themes, and techniques to support long-term memory retention. At Key Stage 3 (KS3), students build upon the foundational skills they acquired in Key Stage 2 (KS2) in creating, performing, and evaluating/appraising across dance, drama, and music. As they progress through KS3, they are introduced to new skills and knowledge in Year 7, consolidate and refine these skills in Year 8, and develop them further towards mastery in Year 9.

At Key Stage 4 (KS4), students’ skills are further enhanced, with increased depth and breadth in their exploration of more complex techniques and concepts across the disciplines of creating, performing, and evaluation.

When planning for short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes, the department works backwards from the end-of-key-stage expectations, using the National Curriculum guidance and clearly defined learning goals. Lessons are then sequenced thematically and skilfully to support students’ skill development, engagement, and cultural capital. Age-appropriate topics and themes are carefully chosen to enhance relevance and accessibility.

For KS4, a similar backwards-planning approach is adopted, beginning with the National Curriculum guidance and exam board criteria, while also considering the individual needs of students to ensure inclusive and targeted learning.

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

Develop students' understanding of Dance, Drama, and Music through both theoretical and practical approaches.
Foster a love of learning across each Performing Arts discipline, or across all collectively.
Promote the development of transferable and employability skills.
Support students’ knowledge and understanding of SMSC, PSHE, RSE, British Values, and the school's core values (RACER).
Equip students with the skills and knowledge needed for future careers, both within and beyond the Performing Arts industry.
Enhance students’ cultural capital by exposing them to a wide range of artistic styles, genres, and traditions.
Inspire, engage, and challenge students through a diverse and stimulating curriculum that nurtures a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
Build upon existing knowledge and skills, enabling students to consolidate their learning and pursue further opportunities in Performing Arts where appropriate.
Encourage all students to explore their potential and express their creativity with confidence.
Stimulate interest and enjoyment in Dance, Drama, and Music, contributing to their overall personal development.
Deliver a relevant and inclusive curriculum that nurtures students’ creative, physical, emotional, and intellectual development, as well as their overall well-being.
Promote an appreciation of the value and significance of the Performing Arts as a cultural expression of identity, beliefs, and historical context.
Help students understand the influence of Performing Arts on personal values, social attitudes, and broader society.
Provide opportunities for students to stay connected with their communities and the wider world through active participation in and appreciation of the Performing Arts.

We aim to do this by:

Using the National Curriculum guidance, PSHE curriculum themes, and age-appropriate topics and issues to ensure students are fully engaged and can relate the work to their own lives and experiences.
Employing a spiral curriculum model across all Performing Arts subjects, where key skills and topics are revisited throughout KS3 and KS4. Students acquire new knowledge while deepening their understanding of previously taught concepts, which supports long-term progress and prepares them for further education or careers in the Performing Arts industry.
Building on students' prior knowledge from KS2 in KS3, and again strengthening and expanding these foundations as they move into KS4.
In KS3 Drama and Dance, students engage in practical tasks during every lesson. Following each P2S assessment, students watch a recorded version of their performance as part of an ‘Accelerate Lesson’. This gives them the opportunity to self-assess and peer-assess, make improvements, consolidate their learning, evaluate their progress in creating, performing, and evaluating, and prepare effectively for the next topic. Many topics explored in Performing Arts are interwoven with other curriculum areas—for example, Blood Brothers and Romeo and Juliet are studied in both English and Drama, whilst many drama topics such as musicals are also studied in Dance. This cross-curricular approach strengthens student understanding of the themes and enhances their ability to analyse and perform. In Music, students explore a variety of styles and techniques through practical exploration, while also engaging in relevant theory work to support their understanding and context of the art forms.
We provide a wide range of extracurricular opportunities across all Performing Arts disciplines, allowing students to rehearse, create, and perform their own original and scripted work. In addition, peripatetic music lessons are available for students wishing to develop specific instrumental or vocal skills with specialist teachers.
Assessments across the Performing Arts are carried out through the consistent use of questioning, task reviews, and regular written and verbal peer, teacher, and self-assessment embedded throughout each lesson. The purpose of these assessments is to gauge students’ understanding and to inform the planning and sequencing of future lessons. Lessons follow the RAMAR structure, which supports positive student outcomes and helps develop long-term memory retention.

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

Students will develop their creative, performance, and evaluative skills across all Performing Arts disciplines.
Through a spiral curriculum taught across all year groups, students will become increasingly independent, building confidence in both practical and analytical skills, and gaining a deeper understanding of each topic studied.
Students will develop an understanding of the Performing Arts industry within the wider world, including the diverse career opportunities available regardless of background.
Students will appreciate how the Performing Arts can positively contribute to their health and well-being by providing opportunities for self-expression and supporting positive mental health.
Students will make a positive contribution to the learning of others by developing teamwork and collaborative practical skills.
Engaging and stimulating lessons will foster enjoyment and motivation, leading to accelerated progress.
The skills learned in Performing Arts will equip students with valuable life skills, helping them adapt to current challenges and real-life situations.
Throughout each year, students will refine transferable skills across all curriculum areas, supporting their transition into future careers and life beyond school.

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.