Performing Arts
Performing Arts
The Performing Arts Zone gives students the opportunity to develop their creativity across Music, Dance and Drama. We deliver high quality, energetic lessons that engage students; increasing transferable skills such as confidence, resilience and team work. The KS3 curriculum focusses on the practical application of knowledge, ensuring students are prepared for further study. We do not shy away from changing our KS4 and KS5 course offer to best suit the incoming cohorts, with all teachers skilled in the delivery of GCSE/GCE and vocational courses. Alongside the curriculum, the zone has a vast extra-curricular offer for students who wish to extend their study and increase their performance/technical skills. With 4 fully produced shows a year, clubs in all 3 disciplines, high quality teaching, and a curriculum designed with students in mind, the Performing Arts Zone is one where students can express themselves and share their talents.
Music is taught across the curriculum, building the skills required of a musician over time, with theory and practical knowledge working hand in hand to create an effective and successful practitioner. The purpose of the curriculum is to develop these skills across the three years, building on the knowledge and striving to push the personal boundaries of the student. Alongside music skills, the students learn valuable skills in, but not exclusively, teamwork, communication, resilience, determination and independent learning. Music follows four distinct strands of composition, performance, singing and listening / appreciation and these are threaded into the curriculum in equal weighting.
In Dance the curriculum is designed to teach students the choreographic components from the beginning of year 7, so that these can then be applied, developed and enhanced throughout the remaining composites in KS3. Students apply these components to: 1) new styles of dance such as Contemporary, Rock and Roll and Parkour
2) in their own choreographies using different stimuli
3) whilst replicating repertoire
The curriculum is sequenced to ensure that students’ progress into KS4 study with the necessary skills and experiences for the L2 course; the same applies from KS4 into KS5.
The curriculum for Drama begins with the basics of performance skills and is character driven, where students explore the emotions of various characters. Leading on from this we explore different acting styles in depth, specifically physical theatre. Students have the opportunity to look in detail at scripted works and devising methods, focusing on the application of drama techniques. Students are introduced to a range of theatre practitioners and explore their methodologies within their own work, be this devising or through scripted work.
The zone philosophy emphasises practical application in KS3, working in groups, ensuring all students can be involved every lesson; all lessons are mixed ability thus eliminating ‘sets’ and allowing students from all key groups to work together. The curriculum has been designed carefully to ensure each composite builds upon the knowledge learnt before, whilst also recapping the most important elements of each subject throughout the years.
Sport
PE is a key part of school life and ultimately students’ future well-being. It is therefore our intent to provide an inclusive, broad and balanced PE curriculum that ensures all students will benefit, whether through enhancing existing skills and knowledge, gaining new skills and knowledge, or being introduced to new sports, clubs, teams and organisations.
Participating in high quality PE lessons, students will become more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities. Through PE, students will have an experience that promotes leadership, team work, independence and risk taking, as well as understanding what makes a performance effective, and being able to apply these principles to their own and others’ work.
We ensure students understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and we equip them with the tools to do so through health and well-being education. Beyond merely a subject, we believe that participation in sporting activity is a key element of developing a school in which students are proud of the community in which they belong. Therefore, great emphasis is placed upon additional sporting opportunities beyond the lesson, with after-school clubs, inter-house and inter-school competition and festivals. In addition, we our proud to collaborate with local clubs who offer opportunities for our students during their time at NBA.
In KS3, students build on the knowledge from the previous composites and year to ensure they have a well-rounded understanding of different indoor and outdoor sports. KS3 is built in 4 steps:
1) What key knowledge is needed for each sport
2) How to translate this knowledge into a competitive situation
3) To develop a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents
4) Analyse and evaluate their own performance in order to make progress
In KS4, students have the opportunity to develop their knowledge in sport by participating in sporting activities they enjoy and wish to improve in. A different range of sports is available to students each term (based on student voice), and students complete a 5-7-week program in each sport. In KS4, the focus is for students to find enjoyment through physical exercise and make positive, informed choices around their overall health, linking the benefits of a healthy diet and physical activity to mental and physical well-being. They will develop their leadership qualities and have a sound understanding of different sports including British and worldwide sporting role models.