Performing Arts

Within the Performance Faculty, 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 right 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 extracurricular 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.

What will I study?

Year 7

Drama
  • Basic drama skills
  • Bullying
  • Whodunnit!
  • The sound of silence
  • Commedia Del'arte
  • 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

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
  • Street dance
  • Rock Challenge
Music
  • Blues
  • Soul and funk
  • Reggae
  • Rock
  • The Beatles
  • Pop song writing

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
  • 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 & 11

Acting
  • Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts
  • Component 2: Deveoping Skills and Techniques 
  • Component 3: Responding to a Brief 
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

How will I be assessed?

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

What else can I get involved in?

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

What career could I have with a qualification in Performing Arts?

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 & 8
Compulsory Optional

Either:

  • Clean indoor trainers (any colour)
  • Dance shoes
  • This is compulsory for all Dance and Drama lessons. Students cannot dance in socks or tights. 
  • Plain black leggings
  • PE shorts

It is not compulsory for students to get changed in Dance or Drama, however they may wish to bring the above for Dance lessons.

Years 9, 10 & 11
Compulsory Optional
  • Red short-sleeved polo shirt
  • Plain black shorts OR joggers OR non-see-through leggings

Students are required to wear the above (PE Kit) for Dance and Musical Theatre lessons. All students participating in physical movement work must wear either clean indoor trainers (any colour), dance shoes or have bare feet.

Students can purchase black performance t-shirts and/or hoodies if they wish. 

Payment is processed via ParentPay.

These can be worn in all Dance and Musical Theatre lessons as well as extracurricular clubs.

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 & Safety

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

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!

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

Gallery