Performing Arts

Our intent is to engage and inspire all students to perform and hone their skills to a professional standard. Our aim is for them to enjoy their learning with others in order to perform, believe and achieve both in and out of the classroom.

The topics studied allow students to explore and engage with a wide range of social, moral, spiritual and cultural experiences in a safe and supportive learning environment. From Year 7 through to Sixth Form, students will start to explore skills, from confidence and self-presentation to time management and organisational skills. They will develop the ability to move beyond boundaries and experiment with different ideas and skills. They will learn to cope with constructive criticism and learn from it, which is transferable across the whole school curriculum.

Students have the opportunity to continue their development of the arts with a vast array of enrichment opportunities throughout the year. Every lesson gives students the opportunity to be creative and imaginative and to challenge themselves - both as a performer and a South Craven Learner.

Instagram

You can find out more about the Performing Arts Faculty through our Instagram account.

Curriculum

Year 7

Drama
  • Basic drama skills
  • Bullying
  • Murder mystery
  • The sound of silence
  • Apocalyspe
  • Holidays
Dance
  • Basic dance actions
  • Choreographic devices
  • Dance around the world
  • Street dance
  • Story theatre
Music
  • Rhythm and structure
  • Melody and harmony
  • Instrumental skills
  • Ensemble skills
  • Writing an advert jingle
  • Sequencing

Year 8

As well as Drama, Dance and Music, there will also be a cross-curricular Performing Arts project in Year 8.

Drama
  • Evacuees
  • Theatre in Education
  • Myths and storytelling
  • Scripts
  • Beth Mansfield
  • Lights/camera - action!
Dance
  • Dancing through the decades
  • Musical madness
  • Gangs
  • Motif development
  • Rock Challenge
Music
  • Blues
  • Soul and funk
  • Reggae
  • Rock
  • The Beatles
  • Hip hop

Year 9

Acting
  • Introduction to acting
  • Five key elements
  • Directing project
  • Scripts
  • Published scripts
  • Playwrights
Dance
  • Back to basics
  • Developing choreography
  • Exploring choreography
  • Performing choreography
  • Understanding choreography
  • Showing your skills
Music
  • Composition
  • Solo technique
  • Studio recording
  • Sequencing
  • Ensemble
Musical Theatre
  • The triple threat performer
  • An integrated performance
  • High School Musical
  • Hey, Mr Producer!
Film Studies
  • Film language
  • Analysing a film
  • Short film making
  • Stop frame animation
  • Sound in film
  • Film editing

Years 10 and 11

Acting
  • Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts
  • Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques 
  • Component 3: Responding to a Brief 
  • Practitioner exploration
Dance
  • Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts
  • Component 2: Deveoping Skills and Techniques 
  • Component 3: Responding to a Brief 
Music
  • Component 1: Exploring Music Products and Styles 
  • Component 2: Music Skills Development 
  • Component 3: Responding to a Commercial Music Brief 
Musical Theatre
  • Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts
  • Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performance Arts
  • Component 3: Responding to a Brief, Practitioner Exploration
Film Studies
  • Film language
  • Contexts of film (social, historical, political, cultural, technological)
  • Film narrative
  • Representation
  • Aesthetics of film
  • Screenplay writing/practical filming
  • US film
  • Blockbuster vs. independent film
  • Film technology and historical development
  • Specialist writing on film
  • Film genre conventions

Assessment

Exam Board: Pearson
  • Practical evidence
  • Coursework
  • Externally assessed work

Enrichment Opportunities

Please see here for our Performing Arts enrichment opportunities.

For information on all our enrichment opportunities, please see our enrichment programme here.

Further Education and Careers

Courses you could study at university include:

  • Dance
  • Drama and Theatre Studies
  • Media Studies
  • Music
  • Photography and Film

Careers which require a Performing Arts qualification include:

  • Actor
  • Community Arts Worker
  • Choreographer
  • Dancer
  • Drama Therapist
  • Music Producer
  • Music Therapist
  • Theatre Director

Career Card

Within each of the spaces we have an interactive career noticeboard specific to different areas of the arts. Please visit our Wall of Fame outside the Fells Theatre to see pathways our ex-students have taken.

Performing Arts Kit

Year 7 and 8

Students do not need to get changed for Dance lessons in Years 7 and 8.

Students can go barefoot for Dance lessons or wear dance shoes (e.g. jazz/ballet shoes or foot thongs).

Students can wear their PE kit to take part in workshops/rehearsals after school.

Years 9-11

Every student  who studies Dance and/or Musical Theatre must be either bare footed or wear dance shoes (e.g. jazz/ballet shoes) or foot thongs when taking part in lessons, rehearsals and workshops.

Unless the student is studying Street Dance, trainers (indoor or outdoor) are not to be worn to dance in.

Students are not to dance or move in socks/tights, even if the foot is partially shown.

Students can wear their South Craven Performance kit or South Craven PE kit in practical lessons.

If students have represented the school through Dance, then they may wear their competitive dance hoodies in Performing Arts lessons.

Random items of clothing are not to be worn – this includes, but not limited to, Nike pro shorts/similar or crop tops.

From September 2023, South Craven’s Performance kit consists of a Performance Faculty t-shirt and plain black leggings.
It is compulsory that students wear their appropriate performance kit, even when excused from physical activities (so they can choreograph, direct and assist in the lesson). If students forget their performance kit they will be required to borrow a clean spare kit.

Health and Safety

Jewellery must not be worn in any performance lessons. Long hair is to be tied back with a hair bobble.

Optional Items

From September 2023, students can also purchase:

Performance hoodies

Performance joggers

Performance leggings

Foot thongs

Performance kit bags

These items are optional. Prices are to be confirmed and all available to buy via ParentPay.

Students must keep a copy of their payment receipt to collect their purchased items from their class teacher. Any questions, please contact Mrs Crowther (c.crowther@southcraven.org).

Independent Learning

If you would like to further your knowledge, you can access independent learning work here:

The Performance Press

We aim to raise awareness amongst students, parents, guardians and the wider community about opportunities in the Arts.

We are incredibly lucky to have an abundance of talented students here at South Craven, therefore we thought we would create 'The Performance Press,' a platform to showcase experiences available to students both in and out of school!


 

Alumni

Our previous students have progressed to further study at various Performing Arts schools, universities and conservatoires around the world, before starting a career in the industry. 

See below for examples of where our students have studied and where they have appeared!

SLP College Game of Thrones Laine Ackley Bridge Leeds Conservatoire Butlin Emmerdale PO Cruises Yank Jamie Rose Bruford College Mountview Peel Arden Fiver Northern Ballet Rock and Chips Northern School of Contemporary Dance Rent Institute Arts Jersey Boys Bird College