KEY STAGE 3 CURRICULUM OUTLINE

Dance is part of the PE curriculum at Key Stage 3.

KEY STAGE 4 CURRICULUM OUTLINE

At Key Stage 4 students will study BTEC Tech Award in Dance.

With the new BTEC Tech Award in Dance, our students not only get the chance to perform, but also develop valuable skills and techniques in different disciplines, and explore potential careers in the industry.

As the BTEC Tech Award in Dance is a practical introduction to life and work in the industry, our students can explore the sector while:

• Developing specific skills and techniques

• Devising and delivering a workshop performance

• Analysing, evaluating and enhancing their skills

The course has two internally assessed components, and one that's externally assessed:

Component 1 - Exploring the Dance Industry: Internally Assessed

Component 2- Developing Skills and Techniques: Internally Assessed

Component 3- Performing to a Brief: Externally Assessed

These components build on each other to motivate our students by helping them put what they’ve learned into practice and grow in confidence.

Component 1

Exploring Dance

Weighting: 30%

Aim: get a taste of what it’s like to be a professional actor, dancer or musical theatre performer across different styles.

Assessment: internally assessed assignments

During Component 1, our students will observe and reproduce existing repertoire, as well as explore:

• Performance styles, creative intentions and purpose

• Performance roles, responsibilities and skills

• Performance techniques, approaches and processes

• How practitioners create and influence what’s performed.

Component 2

Developing skills and techniques

Weighting: 30%

Aim: develop skills and techniques in the chosen discipline(s) of acting, dance and musical theatre.

Assessment: internally assessed assignments

During Component 2, our pupils will:

• gain physical, interpretative, vocal and rehearsal skills during workshops and classes

• apply their technical, stylistic and interpretative skills in performances

• reflect on their progress and use of skills in performance, as well as how they could improve.

Component 3

Performing to a brief

Weighting: 40%

Aim: consider how practitioners adapt their skills for different contexts, and put this into practice in a performance.

Assessment: externally assessed task where students work in groups of between 3 and 7 members to create a performance based on a set brief.

To do this, our students will:

• Use the brief and what they’ve learned to come up with ideas for the performance

• Choose the skills and techniques they’ll need

• Build on their skills in classes, workshops and rehearsals

• Review the development process within an ideas and skills log

• Perform a piece lasting 10–15 minutes (which is filmed) to their chosen target audience

• Reflect on the performance in an evaluation report.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AND PATHWAYS POST 16

Past pupils have gone on to study BTEC and A Level Dance and Performing Arts courses at Hull, Wyke and Wilberforce Colleges and some have taken up places at Universities studying Contemporary Dance at degree level. Several pupils have won places at the Centre for Advanced Training at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance at Leeds.

EXTRA CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

Rock Challenge is very well supported by students and staff and an opportunity to perform at the Hull Ice Arena and compete against other local schools. It is open to all students, either as performers or as backstage technical crew. 

Other performance opportunities include, the Hull Youth Arts Festival at Hull Truck Theatre and the Yorkshire Schools Dance Festival at York University.

London ‘Move It’ Trip takes place every two years and is open to KS4 students taking Dance as an option. On the first day, students spend some time sightseeing around the capital and see a West End show in the evening. On the second day students attend ‘Move It’, a dance event at Kensington Olympia, where they can watch performances and take part in classes taught by industry professionals in the widest possible range of dance styles from Capoeira to Chinese, Lockin’ and Poppin’ to Lindyhop. They also have the opportunity to get advice about careers in the Performing Arts industry from universities, conservatoires and specialist PA colleges.