Key Stage 3 - Performing Arts (Drama and Music)

Key Stage 3 - Drama

The overarching aim for Drama in Key Stage 3 is to enable pupils to develop a range of skills that not only help them in the Performing Arts world but across all academia and industry. We want to inspire creativity and individuality whilst nurturing the skills of team work and problem solving. Drama is viewed as an academic subject here at The Heathland School and we aim to develop our pupil’s understandings of different styles of theatre as well as their socio-historical links.

Aims

Drama at Key Stage 3 is divided into 6 Key learning areas: Rehearsing, Physical Skills, Vocal Skills, Staging, Techniques and Analysis. It is taught and assessed through practical activities, theoretical tasks and research. All pupils are given opportunities to develop these skills and to lead others, as well as work within a group. The KS3 Curriculum for Drama aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Use a range of strategies in rehearsal to create an effective piece of Drama. For example, staging, set design and how to improve characterisation through the use of physical and vocal skills
• Understand how to use an extensive range of theatrical skills such as physical, vocal and staging in order to communicate and reference meaning and emotion.
• Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed.
• Can link the development of theatre practitioners and styles within a socio-historical context
• Analyse scripts of modern and classic playwrights and develop ways to get this from ‘page to stage’
• Perform in both groups and as individuals to develop confidence as well as creating exciting and engaging theatre
• Analyse theirs and others performances, being reflective learners and understanding how to improve work.

Key Stage 3 - Music

The overarching aim for Music at Key Stage 3 is to engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. We explore a range of music from across the world and pupils are challenged to consider the different cultures, beliefs and history that can inspire them.

Aims

The key stage 3 curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• Learn to sing and understand how to use their voices safely
•  Have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately to create and compose music on their own and with others
• Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

Pupils will be taught to:

• Play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression
• Improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions
• Use their knowledge of music theory to record and perform their work
• Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from a variety of composers and musicians
• Understand Music’s place on the socio-historical stage and its importance in culture
• Understand Music’s place in the creative industry