Creative Arts
The Creative Arts Curriculum Area consists of a team of teaching staff, support staff and peripatetic staff who are well motivated, dynamic and supportive. The area is led by a Curriculum Leader and an Assistant Curriculum leader, as well as staff who take responsibility for different subjects across the area. Sharing of ideas, resources, innovations, responsibilities and good practice forms a large part of the ethos of the department, as well as practical support in a range of contexts.
Teaching staff teach across a broad range of year groups and assume different roles as appropriate. Some staff members are also members of whole school development groups, including staff development and the teaching and learning group. Within the area there are opportunities for staff development and there is a good philosophy of sharing good practice with each other across the area. The area is staffed by 3 Art teachers, 2 full time Music teachers (plus a member of the SMT) plus 1 Drama / Performing Arts teacher. We also have members of staff from other departments who teach lessons in our Creative Arts curriculum, and in Key Stage 4 Performing Arts. We have 1 support assistant, and a team of peripatetic music teachers to support our curriculum.
We place a great deal of emphasis on assessment for learning across the area, and students are encouraged to set targets for their own learning as well as evaluating the work they have done. We also make use of data to set targets for students and to monitor progress and achievement across all key stages. Students regularly use a variety of ways to record their work and to analyse and evaluate, including record sheets, video recording, audio recording etc.
Recent exam success
Attainment at Key Stage 4 in Art & Design was 72% A*- C in 2006 and we had a 96% rate in GNVQ Performing Arts in 2006. Key Stage 5 results are also consistently high across the area.
Our recent OFSTED inspection (March 07) highlighted Creative Arts as one of the three most successful areas in the school.
Art, Music and Drama (year 9 only) are taught in mixed ability groups at Key Stage 3. Students also participate in separate Creative Arts lessons in years 7, 8 and 9, demonstrating our commitment to an integrated approach in the teaching of the Arts as well as our recognition of students’ strengths in specific subjects. Students initially take part in ‘taster’ sessions, and are then allowed to opt for a subject within a given project. Students then join together in half-year groups to give performances. We find that this approach also sets a good basis for students who go on to study Performing Arts at Key Stage 4 and 5.
Provision at Key Stage 4: GCSE Art and Design, BTEC First Diploma in Performing Arts
Provision at Key Stage 5: A-level Fine Art, BTEC National Award in Performing Arts
Our curriculum area is very well resourced, with purpose built classrooms, drama spaces, practice rooms, a dance/drama studio and multi-purpose hall / performance space. Each classroom has an interactive whiteboard, all staff have laptops, and there are a number of computers with subject specialist software.
The curriculum area offers a wide variety of extra curricular clubs and activities on a regular basis. These include animation club, folk club, drama club, choir, talent competitions (school-based and in the wider community), homework clubs, visits to galleries and theatres. Students are also given the opportunity to make use of the area facilities including art rooms and practice rooms for extra work / support, and also for rehearsal. We have excellent links with a number of outside arts agencies, service providers, artists, and regularly take part in competitions and other projects to offer students a broader range of experiences. Recent productions have included ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (whole school), The Glass Menagerie, ‘Abigail’s Party’ and ‘Steel Magnolias’. Examples of recent projects with other agencies include the Northumbria in Bloom competition and the Playback project in conjunction with the Theatre Royal and the Royal Shakespeare Company.