Welcome to the Performing Arts department

Teachers: 

Mrs Creggwood - Associate Assistant Headteacher and Head of Performing Arts

Mrs Newton - Teacher of Performing Arts

Mr Brown - Teacher of Music and Performing Arts

Mr Alabaster - Teacher of Performing Arts and Head of year 10

Miss Sephton - Teacher of English 

 

Our vision: 

Students within the Performing Arts Faculty at The Bay CE School will graduate with greater confidence and conviction in their command of specialist skills and have developed passion for the creative arts across the styles and specialisms, whatever their background. Students will also graduate having developed core values and skills in teamwork, communication, respect and empathy.  

 Click here to read about our fantastic production of Matilda Jnr

How the Curriculum has been adapted following the Covid-19 Pandemic 

The curriculum has been adapted to revisit the skills and knowledge gaps each year. We have focused on ensuring that all students understand the fundamentals of characterisation, independent rehearsal and self reflection, as well as the key features of styles of theatre. Without a clear understanding in these areas, pupils will struggle both progress within each aspect of the subject, developing and analysing effective performance work. 

Phase 2: 

The Phase 2 in Performing Arts curriculum focuses on four strands: exploring the Performing Arts; styles and practitioners; creating original performance work; and performance skills and techniques. Through the three years of study, our students create a range of performance work developing a breadth of subject knowledge across acting, dance and musical theatre. Each scheme of learning requires students to develop performance work through rehearsal and perform these to the class, culminating in written self-evaluations. The schemes of learning have been carefully considered so that they build upon the previous in sequence as well as provide students with engaging and interesting topics of thought.  As well as this, we look to develop the ‘whole student’ building their confidence, resilience and teamwork skills in preparation for Phase 3. 

Phase 2 – Year 7

In year 7 Performing Arts students study two lessons a fortnight. The year begins with a focus on the fundamentals of rehearsals and performance through an introductory mime project. Throughout the year students develop their understanding of physical and vocal skills to demonstrate a character on the stage and create meaning with an audience. They study four acting styles; pantomime, musical theatre, physical theatre and murder mystery through a mixture of scripted and devised performanc work. 

By the end of the academic year students will have an understanding of the fundamental roles and responsibilities of a performer as well as the areas of the stage and how to use the space effectively. They will also be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses in performance due to the logbooks and skills audits they have completed throughout the year. Students will have developed techniques for effective rehearsals, working sensitively with other students and making active contributions to the process. Performance skills are also an important element of the year, with a focus on the basic vocal and physical skills to develop characterisation. 

Phase 2 – Year 8

In year 8 Performing Arts, students study two lessons per fortnight building on the learning in year 7 to further develop students’ knowledge of styles and performance techniques. As well as this, students also begin to develop an understanding of other roles in the Performing Arts industry. Students start the year exploring ‘Blood Brothers’ with a focus on demonstrating status, age and emotion through physical and vocal characterisation skills. 

After this, students complete a response to live theatre project with a further focus on Blood Brothers, developing analysis and evaluation skills, as well as learning how to accurately apply key terminology to their writing. 

Students further develop their skills in physical theatre through a workshop based project, exploring the techniques of Frantic Assembly. Followed by further development of the page to stage process through exploration of the play ‘Teechers’. 

Towards the end term students complete a character development project which further develops the acting skills from year 7 and 8. After this, students work in small groups to devise their own performance. 

By the end of year 8 students will be able to explain their strengths and weaknesses in performance due to the logbooks and skills audits they have completed throughout the year. Students will have further developed techniques for effective rehearsals, working sensitively with other students and making active contributions to the process. Performance skills are also an important element of the year, with a focus on the basic vocal and physical skills to further develop characterisation. 

 Year 9

In year 9 Performing Arts, students study one  lesson per fortnight building on the learning from year 7 and 8 to further develop students’ knowledge of styles and performance techniques, ensuring students are prepared for continuing their studies in year 10 if they wish to do so. 

Students start the year with ‘Acting for TV and Film’ a project that not only develops their skills in Performing Arts, but introduces them to essential skills in Media and film, in preparation for a possible preference in Creative Media Production. Students work in groups to plan, produce, edit and evaluate a short film. 

The second project introduces students to a new style of theatre, Theatre in Education (TIE), where they will explore the techniques of Bertolt Brecht, to devise a performance on Internet Safety. 

The final assessed project of year 9 is a devising project where students learn about another new style ‘Theatre in Education’ (TIE). Students work in groups to devise their own performance based on the theme of ‘World War 2’. During this project, students will be able to pick their specialism from either Acting or Dance.

The final few weeks of year 9 Performing Arts is ‘Site Specific’ where students will respond to a brief in order to plan / perform a piece for a specific outdoor theatre space. 

Phase 3 – Year 10 

In year 10, students begin by preparing for their first assessment, Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts. Through studying three pieces of pre-existing repertoire from Musical Theatre, Verbatim theatre and Physical Theatre students create a written report / presentation exploring the key themes and development techniques to ensure the performances success. Students also explore key practitioners and job roles that make the piece successful and how they interlink. Students will complete a number of practical workshops for this component exploring the material through workshops and performances and writing about the exercises in their report/presentation.

In term two students complete preparaitons for Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts. Throughout this component students are assessed on their practical contributions to workshops and rehearsals as well as their logbook, evaluating their development of skills through skills audits, long term and short term SMART targets and self-evaluations. With a focus on physical theatre, students work in a group to stage a given script in order to perform as a workshop style performance out of lesson time to an open audience. The final element of this course is the completion of a self evaluation, students will watch past videos of themselves and evaluate how they have progressed since the beginning of this project. 

The final term culminates in the completion of the set brief examinations for Component 1 and component 2. 

Phase 3 – Year 11

Year 11 begins with a mock assessment for ‘Component 3: Performing to a brief’ where students need to plan, rehearse and perform a piece of devised theatre in response to a brief set by the exam board. Firstly, students will take part in a series of workshops, developing their skills in devising theatre. They will then work in groups to stage a 15 minute performance based on a brief provided by the exam board. They will rehearse the performance and complete two hours writing up about their development and refinement of ideas under controlled conditions. They will perform the piece in front of their target audience and complete a final evaluation under controlled conditions. 

In term two and three students receive their externally assessed brief. They will work in groups to devise and stage a 15 minute workshop performance based on the scenario and stimuli provided within the brief. They will rehearse the performance and complete two hours writing up about their development and refinement of ideas under controlled conditions. They will perform the piece as a ‘workshop’ performance and complete a final evaluation under controlled conditions. 

Specification: BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts

Year 10 - BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts

Year 11 - BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts

Useful websites:

• Students have all of the resources shared in lessons posted onto their Google Classroom – the is an excellent revision tool for them. 
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zbckjxs
• https://www.franticassembly.co.uk/
• Youtube is an excellent source to watch clips of the plays we are studying or to get acting tips and techniques, e.g. accents, facial expressions, etc.

Revision Guides:

Year 11 - Revise BTEC Tech Award Performing Arts Revision Guide published by Pearson. ISBN: 129224562X, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Revise-Award-Performing-Revision-Guide/dp/129224562X

 

There is currently no revision guide for the new tech award in Performing Arts (year 10) 

Where Performing Arts can lead to: 

Many students who study BTEC Performing Arts go onto continue their studies through BTEC Level 3 Performing Arts at sixth form or college, some chose to study A-level in Drama and Theatre. Many further this with a Performing Arts Based course at university or training at a Performing Arts School. 

Students may pursue a career in the Performing Arts industry, be it performing on cruise ships, securing acting roles on stage or screen. 

Other students may pursue work in media, journalism or other creative arts. 

Many students use drama to help them in a range of different careers such as Politics, Law, Medicine, Teaching and many others. 

Performing Arts can open many doors as it teaches skills that are fully transferable in all avenues of life and highly desired by employers. 

Performing Arts Extra Curricular

The learning doesn’t end in the classroom, in Performing Arts we offer a range of extra-curricular activities to support our students progress within our subject areas. We offer a range of clubs in order to allow our students to become part of the school community, working as a team with all other year groups. We also offer a range of off island theatre trips each academic year so that our students can fully understand the success that they can strive towards in their own careers. 

We also work in partnership with the Isle of Wight music hub to offer students peripatetic lessons in a range of instruments. 

We put on one variety evening and one production a year, open to all students to take part in. Please click here for our latest performance review. 

We regularly update our facebook page with information regarding extra-curricular activities as well as student success, please like and follow our page for more information: 

Clubs on offer:

Click here for more information.

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