Performing Arts: Learning through Creativity!
“The art of acting is to be other than what you are.” – Whoopi Goldberg
At Northgate, we pride ourselves on our creative curriculum. The arts are a brilliant way of including everyone, and supports speech and language development, builds confidence and self-esteem, and can be life changing for young people. The arts also encourage wellbeing, increase cultural capital and open our eyes to the amazing world around us.
The Performing Arts team consists of three lovely specialists: Mr Valentine (Dance), Miss Davy (Music) and Mr Schulze Drama). In years 7,8 &9, all three disciplines are taught discretely, with ‘showtime’ lessons providing an opportunity for pupils to receive teaching that is directly linked to our school shows. In Showtime lessons, pupils will learn the wider skills required for a career in the theatre. These may include: lighting, technology, prop making, costume design or artistic direction.
At Northgate, all pupils are encouraged to learn and apply prior and taught knowledge and experience, which has led to pupils in all pathways accessing some amazing opportunities, including: Voice in A Million, Sign to Sing with Fletch, the School’s Shakespeare Festival and even Carnival!
Drama with Mr. Schulze
Like all of the Arts, Drama allows students to communicate with, and understand others in new and interesting ways.
I passionately believe that Drama is an important tool for preparing learners to live and work in a world that is increasingly Team-orientated rather than hierarchical. Drama also helps pupils to develop tolerance and empathy; It encourages them to think and act creatively, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and apply these skills to all aspects of their learning.
Through drama, children are encouraged to actively engage with roles and make choices: to participate in and guide their own learning, to dialogue with pupils they may never speak to in other settngs and improve their literacy skills by reading and developing their language, vocabulary and oratory skills through performance.
Drama develops all aspects of pupils development: intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. Activities, such as improvisation, pantomime, play-making, and role play serve to develop the creative potential in all who participate, and enable our pupils to move confidently into their next phase of learning.
So what do we do? Our Curriculum
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 pupils work practically, using a range of dramatic genres and drama techniques and are exposed to both devised and scripted work.
They explore, in role, through improvisation, a variety of situations, issues, relationships, characters, text and various stimuli.
Pupils regularly evaluate their contributions, presentations and performances.
Each year group at KS3 will be introduced to four key concept words, this will show an indication of the levels of awareness expected from children who have been taught to understand and practice these concepts.
Key Stage 4
The aim is that by the end of Year 9, all students will be familiar with a range of drama terms, conventions and techniques that will enable them to move forward to study the subject in its more combined form (incorporating all three disciplines) at BTEC Entry Level.
In Key Stage 4, pupils will study chosen units within the BTEC Entry Level specification. These chosen units seek to showcase the best of our pupils, whilst enabling them to:
- Take part in a Performance (A Unit 2 , Practical Exam).
This unit aims to give learners experience of undertaking a role within a Shakespearian performance, and Northgate is a proud participant of the Schools Shakespeare Festival, held annually each November.
The performance evening takes place at either the Deco Theatre, or the Royal and Derngate Theatre, Northampton and past performances have included: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello and Richard III, to name but a few!
Learners may choose the role of performer, but they also have the opportunity to develop technical or design skills. The unit focuses on teamwork and working collaboratively on an exam piece. The rehearsal process allows learners to develop self-confidence and a sense of working as a team. The entire process is evaluated from rehearsals to the final performance as Unit 2 makes up 50% of the overall BTEC Qualification.
Pupils with then progress towards preparing for a Performance. (A Unit 3 , National curriculum text study). Currently, the pupils are studying Willy Russell's famous play, Blood Brothers.
Pupils continue to develop performance skills while working on ‘Blood Brothers’, allowing them to deepen their knowledge and performance skills. Throughout Unit 3, learners will identify some of the essential skills required within different disciplines and, through workshops and practical activities, start to develop their own performance skills.
Dance with Mr Valentine
I have taught performing arts at Northgate School Arts College for 10 years and have enjoyed every minute of it. Throughout the years’ our students have produced some outstanding work and performed in various prestigious venues. Students in Key stage 4 work towards a BTEC Entry level 3 in Performing Arts, and the qualifications give learners the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to prepare for a range of employment not just performing arts related.
Key Stage 3
Following on from the teaching of discrete Drama, Dance and Music lessons in Key Stage 3, in Key Stage 4, Dance is taught as part of a combined curriculum, which also incorporates knowledge, skills and elements of performance from Drama and Music.
Key Stage 4
In Key Stage 4, pupils will study chosen units within the BTEC Entry Level specification. These chosen units seek to showcase the best of our pupils, whilst enabling them to:
- Take part in a Performance (A Unit 2 , Practical Exam).
This unit aims to give learners experience of undertaking a role within a Shakespearian performance, and Northgate is a proud participant of the Schools Shakespeare Festival, held annually each November.
The performance evening takes place at either the Deco Theatre, or the Royal and Derngate Theatre, Northampton and past performances have included: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello and Richard III, to name but a few!
Learners may choose the role of performer, but they also have the opportunity to develop technical or design skills. The unit focuses on teamwork and working collaboratively on an exam piece. The rehearsal process allows learners to develop self-confidence and a sense of working as a team. The entire process is evaluated from rehearsals to the final performance as Unit 2 makes up 50% of the overall BTEC Qualification.
Pupils with then progress towards preparing for a Performance. (A Unit 3 , National curriculum text study). Currently, the pupils are studying Willy Russell's famous play, Blood Brothers.
Pupils continue to develop performance skills while working on ‘Blood Brothers’, allowing them to deepen their knowledge and performance skills. Throughout Unit 3, learners will identify some of the essential skills required within different disciplines and, through workshops and practical activities, start to develop their own performance skills.
Music with Miss Davy
Music is a language the whole world speaks and one of the most powerful forms of communication. I truly believe there is Music in every child and it is the teacher’s job to find it, nurture it and share the enjoyment. For myself, it is a beautiful thing that my career and passion come together.
At Northgate School Arts College Music is predominantly be about enjoyment, and enhancing the pupil’s musical experiences through a range of activities. Music is beneficial to the pupils' cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills, and their wider academic achievement, life skills and personal enrichment.
Music is a tool in opening up emotions within the children, giving them a form of expression which they may find difficult to communicate in other ways. The pupils are encouraged and supported in developing skills which they can apply to everyday life, such as fine and gross motor skills, communication, listening, discipline, empathy, creative expression and self-confidence.
Music lessons are focused on composition, listening and appraising and performance. These main components of music are the backbone to all teaching experienced through a wide range of practical and listening activities.
Key Stage 3
Music in Key Stage 3 is focused on developing skills, engaging and inspiring pupils to develop a love of music and to increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. They are taught by following three main principles:
- Performance
- Composition
- listening and appraising.
These are covered by exploring a range of units, from learning about instruments, developing rhythms, reading notation, learning a new instrument, performance skills, exploring music from different countries, time periods and genres, BSL with music (sign-song) and music technology.
Pupils have access to a wide range of resources, including tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments, keyboards, recorders, samba drums, boom-whackers, ukuleles, acoustic guitars, drum kits and piano. The children are encouraged to participate in all activities using the various instruments to explore the sounds they create.
We work closely with Drama, Dance and Art to create whole-academy shows.
Key Stage 4
Music in Key Stage 4 progresses pupils' knowledge and skills further by focusing on the BTEC Performing Arts Award.
This is achieved by working alongside Dance and Drama to gain an Entry Level qualification in Performing Arts.
BTEC Specialist qualifications are work-related qualifications available from Entry to Level 3 in a range of sectors. The qualification supports learners in gaining the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to prepare for employment in a specific occupational area. The qualifications also provide career development opportunities for those already in work. The curriculum also aims to give learners the opportunity to:
- engage in learning which is relevant to them and will provide opportunities to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal skills and attributes essential for successful performance in working life
- achieve an Entry Level vocationally related qualification, progress to employment in a particular vocational sector, progress to related general and/or vocational qualifications.
In Music, the pupils focus on two key units:
Unit 1: Performance Venues, which explores the different types of performance venues / spaces, performance and non-performance job roles. There is also a focus on being able to comment on a performance and review it.
Unit 2: Taking part in a performance, where the pupils are able to take a positive role in preparing for a performance, and be able to undertake a role in a performance in front of an audience.
Being able to work collaboratively with Drama and Dance gives pupils the opportunities to develop a whole range of skills-fundamental to developing confidence and social skills needed to gain employment or progress to the next stage of learning, and other aspects of life, socially, emotionally, culturally and academically.
“Northgate is better than my old school because people are nice to me and understand me. I love to come to school.”
Student
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