Creative

“Creativity is intelligence having fun” – Albert Einstein

Vision Statement

The Creative department at Birkdale High School believe that all children should be entitled to experience a wide range of creative opportunities, to develop their creativity and ideas and increase proficiency in their execution. As a department we must nurture all students’ creative talents and seek opportunities for them to develop as individuals and achieve their maximum potential; regardless of their starting points. Alongside literacy and numeracy, the skills of creativity and performance which are intrinsic to our subjects are essential lifelong skills. The Creative industry is fast developing and creative people are highly sought after in the world of work, it is our job at Birkdale not only to begin to prepare and shape students in readiness for these many opportunities, but also to support them in becoming well rounded and confident human beings.

Across the Creative department within the three disciplines of Art, Music and Drama, students will have the opportunities to develop many skills, working with a wide range of materials, styles and techniques in Art, different instruments and musical styles in Music and various performance styles and technical areas in Drama. The curriculum at Foundation stage provides the building blocks for students who then choose to opt for our subjects at Examination stage. The Foundation schemes of work are purposely designed to provide the students with a wide variety of skills, techniques and experiences across the three disciplines. Our schemes of work are developed to ensure that all students are taken through step by step instructions to enable them to develop their own work and skills into successful and individual final pieces of work in Art, or compositions and opportunities for performance in Music and Drama. These performance and compositional skills are not only vital aspects of the Music and Drama curriculum, but also help to provide students with essential life skills and build self esteem.

The Big Ideas

Art

AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.

AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

Drama

AO1: Create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance.

AO2: Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance.

AO3: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed.

AO4: Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others.

Music

AO1 Perform with technical control, expression and interpretation.

AO2 Compose and develop musical ideas with technical control and coherence.

AO3 Demonstrate and apply musical knowledge.

AO4 Use appraising skills to make evaluative and critical judgements about music.

Cultural Capital

Throughout both our curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities we aim to provide students with a wide range of experiences to experience the wider world.

  • World Art project
  • Identity Art project
  • Pop Art project
  • Theatre trips
  • Ugly bucket theatre workshops
  • African Drumming project
  • The Blues project
  • DOT Art competition

An Equitable Curriculum - Removing Barriers

All Creative classrooms have a visualiser which our teachers use to model for our students, therefore scaffolding more challenging curriculum content so that it is accessible to all.

All topics lead to a final piece/performance but the lead up to the final outcome is well developed and broken down to smaller skills/steps. These skills and steps are then built on to enable all students to achieve and experience success in reaching that final outcome.

In the Foundation Stage classes are mixed ability to ensure that all get to see what ‘excellence’ looks and sounds like. This also ensures that students adopt more of a growth mindset and focus on improvement as opposed to feeling labeled.

Any written element of the courses studied at GCSE have plenty of support materials to help students scaffold their work, enabling them to make appropriate and relevant comments about their own work, the work of other artists and performers, or set pieces they have to study.

Curriculum Structure

Art - Foundation Stage - Years 7, 8 & 9Art - Examination Stage - Years 10 & 11
Year 7 - 2 hours per cycle
mixed ability
Year 8 - 3 hour per cycle
mixed ability
Year 9 - 5 hours per cycle
mixed ability option groups
GCSE Art (AQA)
5 hours per cycle
mixed ability option groups
Drama - Foundation Stage - Years 7, 8 & 9Drama - Examination Stage Years 10 & 11
Year 7 - 1 hour per cycle
mixed ability
Year 8 - 1 hour per cycle
mixed ability
Year 9 - 5 hours per cycle
mixed ability option groups
GCSE Drama (AQA)
5 hours per cycle
mixed ability option groups
Music - Foundation Stage - Years 7, 8 & 9Music - Examination Stage - Years 10 & 11
Year 7 - 2 hours per cycle
mixed ability
Year 8 - 2 hours per cycle
mixed ability
Year 9 - 5 hours per cycle
mixed ability option groups
BTEC Music (OCR)
5 hours per cycle
mixed ability option groups

Staffing

PositionName
Curriculum LeaderMrs Carrington
Teacher of ArtMrs Sinclair
Teacher of Drama and MusicMiss Rimmer
Teacher of MusicMrs Roberts
Teacher of MusicMrs Brogden
Autumn Term 1Autumn Term 2Spring Term 1Spring Term 2Summer Term 1Summer term 2
Year 7Identifying SkillsIdentifying SkillsIdentity (portraits)Identity (portraits)World ArtWorld Art
Year 8SteampunkSteampunkPopArt PortraitsPop Art PortraitsMythical CreaturesMythical creatures
Year 9Close up
Year 10Portrait
Year 11Externally Set task
Autumn 1Autumn 2Spring 1Spring 2Summer 1Summer 2
Year 7Introduction to Drama

Developing group work skills
Introduction to ‘Vocal and Physical Skills
Introduction to Drama

Development of Vocal and Physical Skills
Introduction to improvisation skills Devised group performance task
Genre,Styles and Conventions

Exploring key genres Exploring key styles Developing use of key methodologies.
Genre,Styles and Conventions

Developing use of key methodologies Devised group performance task. Introduction to key practitioners.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Exploring historical context Implementing key dramatical skills
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Developing character and role Devised group or solo performance task. Writing in role.
Year 8Introduction to Drama

Developing group work skills Introduction to ‘Vocal and Physical Skills
Introduction to Drama

Development of Vocal and Physical Skills Introduction to improvisation skills Devised group performance task
Our Day Out – Willy Russell

Social/historical context of the play: education in the 1970s v modern day. Exploring how humour created through structure and use of stage directions Plan and rehearse Group scene at ‘The Zoo’
Our Day Out – Willy Russell

Performance skills and self assessment/ target setting Writing in role - letter of complaint Devising in response to text who was to blame?
Theatre in Education

Intro to didactic Theatre as a means to educate an audience Exploring verbatim and techniques used by TIE Companies Intro to historical context of Hillsborough Disaster.
Theatre in Education

Group devising project - creating a short piece of TIE around Hillsborough aimed at a Year 7 audience Performance and evaluation of devised pieces. Builds upon the knowledge they have gained from their form time PSHCE
Year 9Introduction to GCSE Creating group dynamic/expectations

Intro to written exam - section A Types of staging
Blocking
9 square grid

Beginning to describe, analyse and evaluate
Intro to Performance Assessment -

TEECHERS Exploring conventions
Preparing for Performance 1

Character work Working as a CHORUS
Costume Design

Setting aims and intentions for performance

Evaluation and target setting in relation to performance criteria.

Performance of group piece
Developing Performance Skills

Analysing a text

Preparing to perform a monologue or Duologue.

Committing to memory longer sections of text.

Evaluation and target setting in relation to performance criteria.
Written exam – section C: Writing about Live performance and Devised Drama

Preparation for Theatre Trip –
Theatre Trip/Workshop

Writing an evaluation of live theatre performance

Exploring devised theatre

Exploring stimuli Developing character and technical skills.
Written exam - section B: Set Text Blood Brothers

Intro to Character/ Setting/Themes/Plot

Exploring Technical elements – Intro to lighting and sound

Exploring Design elements – Into to props/set/costume

Devising Drama Devising Drama exploring stimuli.

Overview of unit and assessment (40% of GCSE)

Teacher led workshops on
Written exam - section B: Set Text Blood Brothers

Performance space and proxemics

Character development e.g. hot-seating/role play around text

Answering exam style questions on Blood Brothers

Devising Drama
Devising Drama exploring stimuli.

Developing devised performances in groups
Year 10Skills audit/Target setting

Recap -Types of staging Blocking 9 square grid Consolidating understanding of how to describe, analyse and evaluate. Intro to Performance Assessment
Preparing for Performance 2

Character work Working as a CHORUS Costume Design Setting aims and intentions for performance Evaluation and target setting in relation to performance criteria.
Component 2: Devising Drama

Overview of unit and assessment (40% of GCSE) Teacher led workshops on devising in response to stimulus Starting to devise in groups. Start PORTFOLIO section 1 – RESPONSE (controlled assessment – 800 words =10%)
Component 2: Devising Drama

Complete PORTFOLIO section 1 – RESPONSE (controlled assessment – 800 words = 10%) Developing devised performances in groups Peer assessment half way through the process Complete PORTFOLIO section 2 – DEVELOPMENT (controlled assessment – 800 words = 10%
Component 2: Devising Drama

Final rehearsals and performance (worth 10%) Complete PORTFOLIO section 3 – EVALUATION (controlled assessment – 800 words = 10%) Feedback, target setting, re-drafting/fix it in controlled conditions.
Written exam – section C: Writing about a live performance

Intro to Live Performance Plot, character and context. Writing an evaluation under exam conditions Target setting for Year 11
Year 11Written exam - section B: Set Text Blood Brothers

Consolidating understanding of plot Communicating key roles using performance space, vocal and physical skills Answering exam style questions on Blood Brothers in preparation for Year 11 Mock
Written exam – section C: Writing about a live performance

Live Performance Note-taking on key scenes in performance Planning answers to exam style questions Year 11 Mock Fix it Target setting
Preparing for Performance EXAM

Selection of texts Choosing groups Blocking and rehearsal of EXTRACT 1 (10%) Setting aims and intentions for performance of EXTRACT 1 Peer/staff feedback in relation to performance criteria.
Preparing for Performance EXAM

Blocking and rehearsal of EXTRACT 2 Setting aims and intentions for performance of EXTRACT 2 Performance exam takes place to an examiner - March 21st
Written exam preparation

Section A: Job Roles Types of staging Section B Set Text – Blood Brothers Section C Live Production – Billy Elliot
Written exam preparation

Section A: Job Roles Types of staging Section B Set Text – Blood Brothers Section C Live Production – Billy Elliot

Music - Programmes of Study

Autumn Term 1Autumn Term 2Spring Term 1Spring Term 2Summer Term 1Summer Term 2
Year 7Machine Music (Basic Rhythm)Pitch & Put (Keyboard and staff notation)Gamelan (texture/ostinato)Ground BassSteel Pans (syncopation)4 Chord Trick
Year 8African Drumming (polyrhythm)African Drumming (polyrhythm)The Blues (riffs/chords /improvisation)The Blues (riffs/chords/ improvisation)Reggae (off beat accompaniment)Samba (rhythm & syncopation)
Year 9Key Skills Development (Staff notation & Sibelius) Solo performance skillsKey Skills Development (Using chords to perform and understanding tonality) Ensemble performance skillsKey Skills Development (Principles of composition & Cubase) Solo performance skillsKey Skills Development (Using chords to compose and understanding tonality) Ensemble performance skillsKey skills development (application of musical elements in composition & appraisal)Key Skills Development (composing to a brief, structure in western classical music)

Subjects