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King Edward VI Community College

King Edward VI Community College

Key Stage 3

Dance

Explore, Discover and Achieve in choreography, performance and appreciation of Dance

How will I be assessed?  

Each half term block has an opportunity for assessment of skills.

Key Stage 3 Dance Curriculum 

Year 7

Students will explore the use of space through the scheme of work ‘obstacles’ where they create movement material working in small groups.  Key physical and expressive skills will be developed throughout the year.  There are several opportunities to be involved in extra-curricular clubs, mostly run by students, as well as performance opportunities.

Year 8

Students work on developing skills linked to contact work which embraces the element of trust.  There are many opportunities to use different stimuli to inspire outcomes. Choreographic devices and structures are embedded into practical work and analysis of own and others work. There are several opportunities to be involved in extra-curricular clubs, as well as performance opportunities.

Year 9 

GCSE Dance route way for selected students at year 9.  Students cover 4 different units that involve performing, Choreographic, knowledge and understanding of choreographic processes and subject matter and appreciation of professional dance works.

Students who enrol on the course have the opportunity to extend to accreditation in year 10.

Where Could It Lead? Post 14 

GCSE Dance – Course accreditation in year 10 through core PE and twilight sessions.

Level 3 BTEC – Unit based dance modules for selected students who have completed their GCSE dance route way.

Where Could It Lead? Post 16 

A Level Dance – A contemporary based dance course that allows students to choreograph solo and group dances, perform to an audience and develop analytical knowledge of Anatomy and a range of Professional Artist and Dance Works.  Students are encouraged to see live work as well as that on dvd and take part in many extra-curricular opportunities available within or outside the college.

Enrichment Opportunities 

Several clubs/groups run on lunchtimes and after-school which are run by dance leaders and teachers.

  • Yr 7 Dance Club
  • Yr 8 Dance Club
  • Yr 9 Coursework
  • GCSE/BTEC enrichment
  • A Level Choreography Rehearsals
  • College Company
  • Technique Class
  • School Production/performances

Our Achievements 

  • Tommy Hodgkins – Working with Sidi Larbi company 2015/16
  • Links with Totnes School Dance –Students involved in World Dance 2015
  • SPRUNG – annual showcasing of dance excellence
  • Students involved in National Youth Dance Company
  • Trend of examination results 100% A-C grades at A level over the last 3 years

Contact 

Sarah McInally - Raising Standards Leader

Drama

We believe that every student is entitled to a rich and diverse Arts Curriculum which provides each learner with the opportunity to explore their world creatively.  We seek to open the eyes of every student to their own possibilities within a rigorous but exciting curriculum framework.  Lessons are delivered in specialist spaces and are practical, allowing students to work individually, in pairs and in small groups.  Students collaborate in the creative process and are given opportunity to explore a range of themes, issues and ideas that help to develop their understanding of, and their place in, the world around them.

How will I be assessed?  

In KS3 students are assessed on both their skills and contextual understanding of the ½ termly units.  Assessment will be through observation of practical work and through student feedback and evaluation.

Key Stage 3 Drama Curriculum 

Year 7

Students are taught on a termly carousel with Dance across 3 hours over the fortnight.  The drama curriculum is designed to introduce students to exploitive strategies.  Developing role play skills, students explore story telling techniques, Shakespeare characters and real life murder mysteries.  Students complete an ongoing learning journal threoughout year 7.

Year 8

Students have 1 lesson per weel of drama where they develop performance and evaluation skills.  Schemes of work range from real life stories, script work, mask work, Shakespeare & reviewing live theatre.  Year 8 aims to introduce students to devising and evaluation in preparation for the GCSE Drama course.  Students complete an ongoing learning journal throughout year 8.

Year 9

Students who do not opt for GCSE Dance fast track continue with 1 hour of drama per week in year 9.  The curriculum in year 9 is designed to challenge and push performance skills through schemes such as verbatum theatre and the exploration of GCSE English texts to enhance cross-curricular learning.  In addition to this, the material and subject content begins to challenge and question the students' social and moral development with topics such as the London Riots and the Derek Bentley case of 1952.

Where Could It Lead? Post 14 

GCSE Drama is an excellent addition to all manner of subjects.  The skills that you develop are not explicitly linked to ‘acting and performance’.  Whilst you will develop your understanding of and approaches to creating original theatre, you will also benefit from working creatively, planning and working collaboratively. This requires you to develop your personal skills in negotiation, teamwork, problem solving as well as building personal confidence to present your ideas to an audience. 

The course is both exciting and challenging and allows you to work in a different way to most other lessons.

We follow the OCR GCSE Drama specification which is made up of 3 units:

1.  Devising Drama = 30%

2. Presenting and Performing Texts = 30%

3. Performance and Response = 40%

Where Could It Lead? Post 16 

A Level Drama and Theatre Studies is a practical, intellectual and artistic subject. You will be expected to explore the structural elements of theatre from the page to the stage. In order to be successful and enjoy this subject, you will need to have a keen interest in the history of drama and study the practitioners, theatrical forms and conventions that make theatre such a compelling and exciting subject. You must be able to analyse and critically deconstruct the work you study, create and witness.

What will I learn?

Lessons are a healthy combination of practical learning supported by the necessary academic theory needed to understand the work being studied in preparation for written exams. Learning takes place through the following: practical workshops, researching background material on a playwright, written research (social/cultural/historical), rehearsal of a production, participating in improvisation, devised work and written examinations. Students are required to explore 3 play texts as well as attend the theatre to watch live productions.  These methods increase understanding of the subject and provide more detail and substance to the students work.

We follow the OCR A Level Drama and Theatre Course where students complete the following units:

1. Practitioners in Practice = 40%

2. Exploring and Performing Texts = 20%

3. Analysing Performance = 20%

4. Deconstructing Texts for Performance = 20%

Enrichment Opportunities 

We run a huge number of trips to the theatre including annual opportunities for all key stages to go to the West End.  Recent productions that we have seen include, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time; Woman in Black; Bally Turk; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Matilda; Shakespeare in Love; War Horse as well as more local performances at The Theatre Royal in Plymouth and The Northcott including Antigone; Midsummer Night’s Dream along with many, many more.

Y7 Drama Club runs on a Friday lunchtime and is led by our gifted and talented students in KS4 and KS5. 

KPAC (KEVICC Performing Arts Company) are a musical theatre group who meet at  Lunchtimes and after school.  KPAC is open to years 5 – 13.  We welcome students from our local Primary Schools to join us.

Our Achievements 

Students have gone on to work professionally in both acting careers as well as production.

Many students have gone on to drama school or university to take their studies in drama further and one ex- drama student has recently made her debut at the National Theatre.

Contact 

Ms J Crook - Raising Standards Leader

Music

A chance to explore the elements of music and the national curriculum through practical, music-making.

How will I be assessed?  

At the end of every topic, you will be given the opportunity to perform a prepared or composed piece.

Key Stage 3 Music Curriculum 

Year 7

Music is taught in weekly, one hour lessons.  In year 7, students initially explore the elements of music defined in our KS3 National Curriculum as well as being encouraged to take up an instrument of their choice - through either class and self-teaching and/or instrumental teaching 1:1 with our huge range of peripatetic teachers who visit weekly.  Students explore topics on leitmotifs, graphic scores and theme and variations - all to be able to improve their knowledge and depth of music but also their ability to apply certain devices/techniques to create their own compositions.  Finally, the summer term allows students to find their own identity within music as they form 'bands' to learn their own choice of repertoire and potentially perform these in our summer concerts or open mic lunchtime events.

Year 8

Enjoy a trip through the history of the Blues and learn to perform your own walking bass as well as lessons on creating your own compositions using variation technique.  A magical ride awaits you through music of the world and there are opportunities to explore music technology if you love dance music.  If the second half of the year, you will choose your own ‘band’ to work in and create a series of performances based on songs of your choice. There are several opportunities to be involved in extra-curricular clubs, mostly run by students, as well as performing at our Christmas concert or school show.

Year 9

An introduction to GCSE music through three termly topics based on listening, composing and performance skills.  Term one will explore the history of pop music and will result in you creating your own pop bands and organising a gig.  Term two will look at exploring areas of study within a range of different historical pieces and learning how to be a music critique; reviewing live and recorded performances.  Term three will see you venture into your own project based on creating/performing your own piece of music; the best of these will have a chance to perform this in our summer festival.  There are several opportunities to be involved in extra-curricular clubs, mostly run by students, as well as performing at our Christmas concert or school show.

Where Could It Lead? Post 14 

GCSE Music – a comprehensive course in music exploring listening, performing and composition skills thoroughly through the exploration of pop, world and classical music.  You will write your own compositions using the latest music software and work towards both a solo and group performance.  There are several opportunities to be involved in extra-curricular clubs, mostly run by students, as well as performing at our Christmas concert or school show.

Where Could It Lead? Post 16 

A Level Music – a follow on from GCSE music where more in-depth study of periods and styles of music will allow you to develop more mature skills in analysis, harmony and aural.  Regular performance opportunities and workshops with visiting professional musicians will help to develop your repertoire resulting in a 15 minute recital at the end of the course.  You will also write your own composition based on a creative brief. 

A Level Music Technology - This qualification is designed to open up a range of exciting and useful tasks to a wide candidature and to encourage students to learn about the subject. Students, including those who do not play a traditional instrument, are encouraged to explore their musicality. You will learn all about modern music production, and the technology required to create it.

Enrichment Opportunities 

Several clubs/groups run on lunchtimes and after-school, many are run by students or our visiting music staff:

  • KPAC (KEVICC performing arts company)
  • KFC (KEVICC folk club)
  • Singer/songwriter club
  • Year 7 band
  • Chamber ensemble
  • Jazz Band
  • Percussion group

Our Achievements 

  • BBC Young Musician of the Year Finalist (percussion) 2012
  • Totnes Show – KPAC performance 2014
  • Devon County Show – KPAC performance 2014
  • Les Miserables – school show February 2016

Students have gone on to work professionally in performance as well as composers and teachers.  A notable, successful recording artist who attended KEVICC is Ben Howard.

Many students have gone on to music colleges or university to take their studies in music further.

Contact 

Mrs N Hansford - Raising Standards Leader