Performing Arts

Autumn 1 

Finding your voice 

Students will be able to sing successfully as part of a class ensemble and learn how to sing using the correct technique.  

Students will learn about music notation and start to read and follow notation in the chosen piece. 

Autumn 2 

Samba 

In this topic, students will develop their rhythmic skills by performing as part of a samba ensemble. 

Students will gain an understanding of how to write rhythms accurately using notation. 

Spring 1 

Melody, pitch and patterns. 

Students will be able to confidently read treble clef notation and to be able to perform pieces on the keyboard using the correct technique. 

Students will learn about the orchestra and develop their listening skills.  

Summer  

Hooks and riffs 

Students will learn about hooks and riffs from popular songs and will learn how to play these on the keyboard.  

Autumn  

Rhythmic skills 

In this topic students will follow on from the samba topic in year 7 consolidating their knowledge and understanding of rhythmic devices. This topic will include performing and composition tasks. 

Spring  

Summer  

Ensemble skills 

Students will further develop their understanding of melody and learn about harmony by learning how to play chords and construct chord sequences on the ukulele.  

Students will learn how to play the ukulele accurately, read TAB notation and to play as part of an ensemble. 

Autumn 

Ensemble skills 

In this unit students will learn how the components of a band work- rhythm, harmony and melody and put together to perform a song.  

Students will learn how to play chord sequences on guitar and ukulele, rhythm using drum kit and melody using keyboard and voice 

Film music: 

Students will learn the conventions of film music by studying pieces from different genres.  

Students will learn how to compose a melody in response from a chosen brief. 

Spring  

What makes a good song:  

Students will learn the different components to construct a song. 

This will include learning about primary and secondary chords, creating a chord sequence using instruments, writing a hook and riff and developing their understanding of structure and texture. 

Summer  

Songwriting 

Students will learn how to compose a song. In this topic, students will consolidate all their prior knowledge to compose in their chosen style and will have the opportunity to utilize music technology. 

Autumn 

Core skills 

Develop a secure understanding of music theory, appraising music from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods (AOS1) and starting preparation for solo performance. 

Spring 

AOS2-4 

AOS2: Music for ensemble.  

Develop a secure understanding of jazz and blues, musical theatre and chamber music.  

AOS4: Popular music and fusion. 

Learn about the different styles of popular music and fusion including Bhangra. 

Composition tasks in preparation for starting the free brief comp. 

Summer 

AOS3, Free brief composition and set works analysis. 

AOS3: Film music.  

Learn about the conventions of film music. 

Start the free brief composition and learn how to respond to a brief.  

Set works analysis: Learn about JS Bach ‘Badinerie’ and Toto ‘Africa’ 

Autumn 

Solo performance and free brief composition recording deadline (October- performance, December composition) 

AOS1-4 recap focusing on exam practice 

Spring 

Ensemble performance 

Set brief composition. 

All coursework deadline Easter.  

AOS1-4 recap 

Summer 

Listening and appraising exam 

Revision for exam  

AOS1-4 

GCSE Music | Eduqas 

We recommend that you engage with as many music extra-curricular clubs as possible in order to build your ensemble skills. This can include band, choir, steel pans and participating in showcases/concerts. 

After studying GCSE music, students successfully go on to study music at local sixth forms, colleges and BAAM.  

Alumni have gained work as music teachers, peripatetic teachers, working in recording studios and other roles wider within performing arts. 

United learning resources cover all four area of studies and detailed analysis of both set works. Students can log in via their school account to access all resources. 

Revision Guides  

Step up to GCSE Music | Rhinegold Education 

WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Music Revision Guide - Revised Edition : Richards, Jan: Amazon.co.uk: Books 

Other Links (social media, YouTube) 

eduqas gcse music badinerie - YouTube 

EDUQAS GCSE Music Toto Africa revision - YouTube 

Autumn  

Drama key skills 

In this topic students will learn the core skills used in drama focusing on how to use their voice and physicality to improvise and bring a short script to life. 

Spring 

Physical theatre 

Students will study Frantic assembly, a physical theatre practitioner and focus on creating a drama piece based on chair duets. 

Summer  

Scripted performance 

Students will explore different staging used in drama performances and will rehearse and perform a scene from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

Autumn  

Scripted performance: Room 13 

Following on from year 7, students will learn how to rehearse and perform a scene from ‘Room 13’ focusing on use of vocal skills, use of space and blocking 

Spring  

Physical theatre 

Frantic assembly: round-by-through. Following on from studying chair duets in year 7, this term students will learn another technique from Frantic assembly, Round-by-through with counterbalances and small lift work. 

Summer  

Devising strategies 

This topic is an introduction to devising and the different strategies practitioners use to create a performance from a stimulus. 

Autumn 

Scripted performance: Our day out 

In this topic, students will consolidate their knowledge and understanding of how to use their vocal and physical skills to give an effective performance. Students will also explore different types of staging along with lighting and sound design. 

Spring  

Physical theatre 

Drama practitioners.  

Students will learn about different drama practitioners and styles including Brecht, meta theatre, mime and physical theatre. 

Summer  

Devising project 

Following on from learning the fundamentals of devising in years 7&8, students will create small group or whole class extracts using stimuli as a starting point.  

Autumn 1 

Component 3 preparation -   

Scripted performance: DNA 

Pupils will develop their ability to perform an existing piece of theatre through the development of 2 short scenes from plays in different genres. These will then be performed with full costume, lighting and sound. 

Pupils will also practice writing a concept proforma for each performance. 

Autumn 2 

Component 4 -  Blood Brothers and Live theatre review 

Pupils will explore Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers in preparation for section A of the written paper. Pupils will discover how to communicate the playwright’s intentions, themes and context can be communicated to an audience using both acting and design in performance through practical exploration.  

Pupils will evaluate the live theatre performance of War Horse and then develop their ability to answer exam questions using this knowledge to prepare for a mock exam at the end of year 10 and the terminal exam in Year 11 

Spring  

Unit 1/2 : Devising 

This term students will develop their understanding of devising strategies in response from stimuli set by the exam board. Students will explore the stimuli in detail and start to develop their group performance.  

Summer 

Students will continue working on their devised performance and written coursework in preparation for the devising exam in Autumn of year 11 

Autumn  

Unit 1/2: Devising 

Students will rehearse and perform their devising exam and complete the coursework element. 

When completed, students will revisit Blood Brothers and the live theatre performance (War Horse) in preparation for the mock exam 

Spring 

Unit 3: Presenting and performing texts. 

Students will successfully perform selected scenes from a published text as part of a group and a monologue. This is a live exam and students will perform in front of an external examiner. 

Summer 

Unit 4: exam preparation 

Students will consolidate their knowledge of Blood Brothers (Section B) and the chosen live performance for section A of the exam. 

GCSE - Drama (9-1) - J316 (from 2016) - OCR 

Throughout the course, students will be invited to attend school trips to productions at the Mayflower Southampton and/or the Lighthouse Poole and should take full advantage of these trips to aid them to succeed in the written exam where they will be expected to write in detail about a live production they have experienced.  

We recommend that you engage with as many drama extra-curricular clubs as possible in order to develop your acting skills and to experience a range of genres. Students should audition for school productions and plays.   

After studying GCSE drama, students successfully go on to study drama or theatre studies at sixth form or colleges. 

Alumni have gone on to work in the profession as actors, set designers,  pantomime dames and backstage. 

Autumn 

Topic Title: Safe Practice, skill development & Street dance 

Pupils will develop an understanding of the key components that are required to develop a dancers technical ability and good working practice with a focus on preventing injury. Pupils will also explore the hip hop styles, learn repertoire from Emancipation of expressionism by Boy Blue Entertainment to begin developing their understanding of communicating meaning through movement, formations and use of canon, unison and counterpoint. 

Topic Title: A Linha Curva  

Pupils will develop their ability to analyse professional dance performances, learn repertoire from the work and develop their understanding of contemporary technique, ensemble performance, choreographic devices and relationships. 

Spring 

Topic Title: Contemporary Ballet 

Pupils will develop and apply an understanding of classical ballet technique and develop their analytical abilities through studying ‘Infra’ by the Royal Ballet. Pupils will explore different methods of generating choreography, informed by the practice of Wayne McGregor in the creation of this work. 

Topic Title: Neo-Classical dance 

Pupils will develop and apply and understanding of style fusion by combining modern and classical technique in the style of Christopher Bruce through the study of his work with Phoenix dance theatre and the work he created with them ‘Shadows’. Pupils will develop their understanding of how design elements such as costume lighting and set can support the communication of a choreographic intention and how props can be integrated into their own choreography. 

Summer 

Topic Title: Dance for Camera 

Pupils will further develop their ability to analyse professional dance works through ‘Within her Eyes’ by James Cousins. Pupils will explore how to create dance for camera including: framing and angle, working safely in a site specific environment and how to use features of that environment to develop movement content. 

Topic Title: Artificial Things 

Pupils will continue to develop and apply their analytical skills through the study of Artificial Things by Stop Gap Dance Company. Pupils will explore how to create movement for dancers with different limitations due to disabilities and combine this with choreography for able-bodied dancers. 

Autumn 

Topic Title: Component 1 - Choreography 

Students must learn how to respond creatively to an externally set stimulus, to choreograph their own complete dance. The dance created must be either: 

• a solo dance of a minimum of two minutes and a maximum of two and a half minutes 

or 

• a group dance of a minimum of three minutes and a maximum of three and a half minutes for two to five dancers. 

which: 

• includes a chosen aural setting 
• can be in any style or style fusion(s) (as long as it meets the assessment criteria) 
• communicates their own chosen choreographic intention. 

The student is not required to perform in their choreographed dance but may do so if they wish. 

To create their own dance, students must know, understand and be able to apply the following, as appropriate to their choreography: Action, dynamic, spatial and relationship content, choreographic process, choreography devices, structuring devices and aural setting 

Spring 

Topic Title: Component 1 – Performance 

Students must develop and apply the following knowledge, understanding and skills to perform dance as a soloist for approximately one minute and in a duet/trio for a minimum of three minutes. 

The total duration of a student’s performance must be no less than three and a half minutes. 

This will include the performance of 2 set phrases (Shift and Breathe) set by the exam board and a duet choreographed by the teacher. 

Summer 

Topic Title: Component 2 – Dance appreciation 

Final preparation for the written exam focusing on exam technique and the fine tuning of knowledge. 

filestore.aqa.org.uk 

AQA | GCSE | Dance | Specification at a glance 

Throughout the course, students will be invited to attend school trips to productions at the Mayflower Southampton and/or the Lighthouse Poole and should take full advantage of these trips to aid them to succeed in the written exam where they will be expected to write in detail about a live production they have experienced.   

Dance club (all years) 

After studying GCSE dance, students successfully go on to study A-Level Dance at sixth form or colleges.  

Autumn 

Unit 2 – Creating  

Preparing and developing their ability to create original theatre or music in the form of a piece of drama, dance or a piece of music. Pupils will write their creative brief in response to the exam question set ready to create their final piece in the spring term. 

Spring 

Unit 2 - Creating  

Pupils will be completing the remaining 3 assessment tasks for unit 2 including rehearsing and developing their original piece of theatre/music/dance, keeping a rehearsal journal, performing/presenting their creation to an audience and evaluation the outcomes. 

Summer 

Unit 1 – Performing  

Pupils will prepare and perform a piece of existing theatre or music of their choice in response to a brief set by the exam board. This could be a piece of drama, song, instrumental music or a combined performance. Pupils will also research their piece and state their rational for choosing it, develop a rehearsal schedule, keep a rehearsal journal and evaluate their performance for assessment. 

Autumn 1 

Unit 1 

Students will finish their solo performance and tasks 2-5. Final performances will be held in the week before October half term.  

Autumn 2 

Unit 3 – Performing Arts in Practice (mock)  

Pupils will develop their ability to plan and market a performing arts event including creation and development of performance material, choosing suitable venues, planning rehearsals, identifying the technical needs of the production such as equipment, different marketing strategies, personnel required and the budget for the event. Pupils will then present their ideas in the form of a business pitch to a panel of staff, including performance of the original material they have produced. Pupils will then have to evaluate the success of their proposal. 

Spring 

Unit 3 – Performing Arts in Practice  

Pupils will complete their final terminal assessment for Unit 3 – performing arts in practice by planning and market a performing arts event in response to the brief released by the exam board. This will include the creation and development of performance material, choosing suitable venues, planning rehearsals, identifying the technical needs of the production such as equipment, different marketing strategies, personnel required and the budget for the event. Pupils will then present their ideas in the form of a business pitch to a panel of staff, including performance of the original material they have produced. Pupils will then have to evaluate the success of their proposal. 

Summer 

Course finished 

Level 1/2 Vocational award in Performing Arts (eduqas.co.uk)   

Throughout the course, students will be invited to attend school trips to productions at the Mayflower Southampton and/or the Lighthouse Poole and should take full advantage of these trips to aid them to expand their creative ideas by experiencing how other practitioners communicate their ideas to the audience and using this to inform their own practice.   

Dance Club (all years)  

Drama Club (KS4)  

Music Tech Club (all years)  

Band (all years)  

Choir (all years)