Performing Arts

The future belongs to young people with the imagination to create. - 

The Performing Arts Department is a vibrant and innovative sector of DACA. We encourage every student to embrace their creativity and use their developing skills and understanding to create performance pieces they can be proud of.

Students study important practitioners of Dance and Drama throughout the key stages, using their techniques to create impressive pieces of practical work and their theory to critically evaluate work of various genres and styles.

The Performing Arts department prides itself on the quality of work produced at all levels and the ability of all students to work collaboratively, developing important entrepreneurial skills along the way.

In the department, we aim to deliver skills which will assist students across their curriculum: collaborative working skills, social skills, literacy skills, communication skills, problem solving – students will learn much more than how to perform. When they do perform we have the highest standards. Students will perform in a wide variety of styles from improvisation to Shakespearian tragedy – each performance requiring different techniques and competencies.

Practical performance is central to our ethos and all students are encouraged to progress rapidly in this area whether in the studio during class time or in one of our numerous public performances.

Intent

We aim to engender a love of learning, self-belief and aspiration through several intentions that are unpacked further. Those intentions are removing barriers to learning; developing knowledge and skills for learning in a range of subjects; developing personal attributes and to enrich students’ experiences and broaden their horizons.

Through our curriculum provision we intend to develop:

• To give students the ability to use of a range of dramatic forms to express ideas and feelings, with students responding creatively and constructively to a variety of stimuli
• To enable students to communicate effectively through the language of space, movement and words
• For all students to develop imagination, characterisation, devising and performing skills
• For all students to develop confidence in their own abilities, particularly in the areas of independent working, verbal and non-verbal communication and team work
• To assist students to develop as critical and evaluative thinkers
• To provide an environment where students feel safe and secure in their creative process

Implementation

A number of drama skills are taught alongside each other throughout the curriculum. A new topic is taught each term which will engage students with its narrative and characters.

Specific skills such as acting, staging, devising, or theatre genre will be taught. Students will work individually, in pairs, small groups and as a whole class.

In most lessons they will participate in active independent learning, to create pieces of drama which they, their peers and their teachers will evaluate. Developing skills such as teamwork, time management, focus and control will be integral to each lesson.

Year 10 and 11 students have the opportunity to study GCSE Drama or GCSE Dance both of which engage and encourage students to become confident performers with the skills they need for a successful future in Performing Arts.

Whatever option they choose, students can gather many invaluable skills, both performance based and transferable, to expand their knowledge and develop their understanding of the discipline.

Written work and exams ask students to combine what they have learned about performance with their practical experience and imagination.

Students learn to collaborate with others, think analytically and evaluate effectively. They gain the confidence to pursue their own ideas and reflect and refine their efforts. GCSE Drama or Dance students emerge with transferable skills, applicable both in further study and in the workplace.

Impact

We will assess if we are having the positive impact we aim for through regular monitoring (for example book scrutinies and learning walks) to ensure we are leading to positive progress for all. The curriculum will be evident across all lessons and students will be able articulate their learning confidently. This will also be reflected in student voice surveys, with students indicating that they are engaged and enjoying their Performing Arts lessons.

Assessment data will be collected and utilised in a meaningful way, for example, to address misconceptions in learning and to target intervention to improve individual outcomes and monitor progress. In terms of planning for learning, data is used to ensure that lessons provide appropriate stretch and challenge to those who are most able and provides appropriate learning experiences to those that struggle to access particular aspects of the curriculum. This data will also be used to seek out and close gaps in students’ knowledge so that all students are able to make progress.

At the end of each academic year, we will review and reflect on how the curriculum is designed to ensure that students remember what they have been taught.  This regular review cycle ensures that we have a curriculum pathway that promotes success for all learners and ensures that the Performing Arts curriculum is appropriate and fully differentiated for all students.