Creative and Performance

Art

The Art curriculum focuses first on pupil mastery of the skills and techniques required to create an accurate representation from observation. Once mastered, these skills allow pupils to convey ideas to an audience using a range of different media.

From Year 7 to Year 9, pupils follow a spiral curriculum focused on mastery of direct observation and portraiture skills, increasing in challenge each cycle. Alongside this, they are introduced to key artists and movements from prehistoric to contemporary art.  

For pupils on the GCSE pathway from Year 10, pupils use the artistic vocabulary, awareness and skill-set honed in earlier years to explore and responding to a chosen starting point.  They sit the Edexcel GCSE Art and Design qualification, which offers both a Fine Art or Photography endorsement.

Physical Education

Physical education is a cornerstone in developing healthy, academic and well-rounded young people today and for life. The PE curriculum aims to develop the full potential of every pupil through high quality physical education within academic and sporting environments. 

Between Year 7 and Year 9 pupils study a range of topics from basic health, fitness and wellbeing, through principles and methods of training, diet and nutrition to the structure and function of the skeletal, muscular and cardio-vascular systems. They will also participate in regular physical and sports activities such as football, basketball, hockey, netball and athletics.

Pupils can go on to study for Edexcel GCSE PE or OCR Cambridge National Sports studies from Year 10 onwards.

Performing Arts

The Performing Arts curriculum aims to ignite pupil creativity, imagination and interest in the arts. 

Year 7  introduces pupils to the origins of Greek theatre, Commedia Dell'Arte and Shakespeare. In Year 8 pupils are introduced to key theatre practitioners, in both drama and dance, who have inspired generations of professional performers. Year 9 focuses on performance styles and physical practice. Throughout the curriculum, pupils return to core knowledge and skills, building mastery and spiralling up in challenge.

In Year 10 pupils begin to study for the Edexcel BTEC Performing Arts qualification, which has endorsements in both Dance and Drama. This allows them to explore professional work, looking at the inter-relationships between key features of performance material. Pupils will be able to interpret writers and performers intentions, performing as a professional theatre company through devising and creating performances. 

Music

The Music curriculum is designed to underpin key knowledge and core musical skills of performing, composing and listening. These skills are developed through varied units increasing in demand, context and breadth.

In Year 7 pupils focus on an introduction to listening, performing and composing skills via the elements of music. In Year 8 pupils develop these skills further whilst exploring a range of genres and their cultural context. In Year 9 they will further their independent use of the skills explored earlier in the curriculum -  listening, composing and performing a diverse range of pieces and genres.  

From Year 10, pupils can go on to study the Edexcel  BTEC Tech Award Music.