PERFORMING ARTS
Performing Arts develop a number of transferable skills that students can use throughout their lives. We focus on teaching students to respect and value a variety of cultures as well as different points in history. We teach them how to listen analytically, how to perform with confidence, how to work together in a variety of groups and how to deliver reasoned opinions, thinking about the respect of others.
We ensure lessons are fun and inspiring, ensuring that delivery of material is accessible to all students. We support students in their learning and ensure that the music department has a mutually respectful and safe atmosphere where students feel comfortable to “have a go” at performing and working together. We encourage students to meet and exceed their targets.
We have recently invested in our Performing Arts department and updated our theatre and music resources. We have a beautiful theatre in which the students have their drama lessons and rehearsals are held. Our music resources are modern and include opportunities for students to learn music technology as well as classical music.
Curriculum:
All KS3 students have 3 Performing Arts lessons over the 2 week timetable.
Students follow a knowledge rich course following National Curriculum guidelines for the basis of the Schemes of Work.
In Music these include:
- Keyboard skills
- Rhythm and percussion
- Rap music and the musical Hamilton
- Pentatonic Music
- Ukulele instrument study
In Drama these include:
- Radio plays
- DNA play study
- An introduction to theatre practitioners
- Devising theatre
Many of our units take inspiration from art units being studied at the same time so knowledge can be shared across subjects.
KS4
Our current Year 11 are currently studying the following:
Drama GCSE through the AQA exam board.
This is an exciting 2 year course and includes the following -
Understanding Drama (a written exam worth 40% of final grade )
Devising Theatre (40% of grade based on a final performance and a devising log)
Performing Theatre (a practical exam of 2 pieces from one play worth 20% of final grade).
The essential revision guide we recommend for students taking GCSE Drama can be found here
A further optional revision guide:
Our current Year 10 and GCSE groups going forward will be studying:
GCSE Performing Arts Vocational award with Eduqas.
This 2 year course is split into 3 units - Creating, Performing and Performing Arts in practice.
Students can specialise in Music, Drama, Musical Theatre or Music Technology.
This is a highly practical course, students must be willing to take part in rehearsals and performances outside of normal lesson time in order to take this qualification.
All GCSE Drama students are able to take part in our annual London theatre trip and visit the heart of the UK's theatre district.
Extracurricular Opportunities:
There are a number of trips and enriching opportunities to look forward to as part of the study of Performing Arts. These are ever-expanding but include trips to the theatre to see musicals, operas and to take part in workshops. There are also a number of extra-curricular clubs run at the school. These include music and drama groups. Annually we produce a Christmas concert, Musical and a play, as well as other performance opportunities throughout the year.
MUSIC MARK
We are proud to be a Music Mark school nominated by Cumbria Music Service to recognise the value we place on music education.
What Cumbria Music Service says about Chetwynde:
'You ensure that pupils at your school are able to access and engage with high-quality music education. Your dedication to offering and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum is both welcomed and celebrated'
THEATRE RENOVATION PROJECT
in 2019 we launched an ongoing plan to renovate our theatre to make it a more usable space for our school community and the groups in the wider area. Together with the PTA, staff, governors and parents we spent many hours rebuilding the stage and upgrading the space. We now have a large stage with wing space and a cyclorama screen for large scale projection. The next stage of our plan is to build a mezzanine technical level area and upgrade the curtains, sound and light equipment. Watch this space.