Faculty of Performance Studies

Our Faculty encompasses dance, physical education, music and drama with a strong and successful faculty team of currently seven specialist teachers. Our facilities include a dance studio, music classroom, sound proofed recording studio and practice rooms, drama studio, sports hall, school hall and extensive playing fields.

At Key Stage 3, all pupils will study physical education, drama and music - dance is delivered in physical education lessons to all students. At Key Stage 4, the faculty delivers RSL Level 2 Certificate in Creative & Performing Arts (dance), OCR Level 2 Cambridge National Sport, GCSE music and GCSE drama.

The faculty offers a varied and vibrant extra-curricular timetable. This includes dance clubs, drama clubs, school band and choir, peripatetic lessons, competitive sports fixtures, and sports practice sessions. Dance, drama and music will often collaborate for summer shows, musicals and KS4 performance evenings. The Faculty will also host the Christmas Carol Concert at St James’ Church in Wollaston.

Vision

We are performance based and as such we develop our students in a variety of ways. We have an equal focus on ‘what’ is taught- the curriculum, and the pedagogy of ‘how’ it is taught. Our students are given opportunities to perform, lead, analyse, play, create, compete and express themselves.

Our teaching is focused on growing the Head, Heart and Hands of all of our students: we foster excellent cognitive skills (Head), social and emotional skills (Heart), and physical/psychomotor skills (Hands).Our Head, Heart, Hands mantra is at the forefront of our curriculum and is learning that will benefit students when they enter the world of work but will also contribute significantly to their positive physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Teaching in our Faculty is creative and responsive. Our learning spaces are diverse: our students see tables around the edge of the room as opposed to the middle. You can be orienteering in the woods or playing cricket with views of the Clent Hills. Our teachers build strong relationships with students enabling them to express themselves whilst peers support, encourage and constructively criticise.

Walk through our faculty and you will see...

In Physical Education and Sport lessons, our students will be leading each other in lessons developing their confidence, oracy and leadership skills. They will be running to exhaustion, working together as a team to outwit opponents or solve problems. They will be supporting each other as they perform complex gymnastic movements and will shake hands after healthy competition.

Our musicians will be singing, tapping the keyboards or maybe banging the African drums. Musical experiences will be based on a variety of cultures from around the world. Our musicians will learn about common practices in the music industry; they will be innovative and creative; they we be using tools to create their own music and to access a range of styles and genre of music.

In Drama, you will see our student actors and actresses devising performances and expressing themselves. Their performances will be filmed and they will be watching their performances with critical eyes; you will see them embracing and giving constructive feedback. They will overcome their nerves and step out of their comfort zones as they act in front of other students. Their confidence will develop and they will grow as individuals.

You will see our Dancers leaping through the air and sliding across the floor; you will be carried away with the accompaniment and the vibrant atmosphere typical in these lessons. You will see posture and alignment, balance and coordination as students perform both independently and as a group. Dance is a powerful and expressive subject which encourages students to build their confidence in communicating with technical performance and creative choreography.

Across our Faculty you will see dedicated teachers who model good practice. Together we guide our students whilst allowing them to have independent experiences and as a result enable them to develop themselves practically and academically.

Our students are determined learners. They want to get involved in school shows, carol concerts and school teams. They embrace opportunities both during and beyond our school day to practise, specialise and further develop their skills.

We know that our commitment to teaching a broad and balanced curriculum and teaching it well, will continue to be reflected in our results and the successes enjoyed by our students.

After leaving our school, sometime in the future our students may be watching a play, singing a song, dancing with their friends or celebrating together in a team. It will remind them of a time in our school and make them smile.

This is Performance Studies and it tells each student in some way, ‘they belong’.