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Performing Arts
Realising extraordinary potential to fuel student’s creative individuality and professionalism through artistic performance and process
The Performing Arts make a major contribution to Walton High’s enriched curriculum inside and outside the classroom environment. Inside the classroom the KS3 Music and Drama programmes have been developed in-house and follow a half termly modular approach with performance skills and individual creativity integral to the units. At KS4 students can choose to study a BTEC First Award in Performing Arts or GCSE Dance, Drama or Music. At Post 16 students can specialise in the BTEC Performing Arts or A level Music.
We have developed well-attended lunchtime and after school dance, drama and music clubs which regularly perform at local events throughout the year. We also have an excellent and longstanding reputation for providing first class entertainment with school concerts, plays and musical theatre. At the Walnut Tree campus resources include a state of the art 380 seat theatre with full fly system; two fully equipped drama studios; a dance studio; two music classrooms; seven practise rooms; a dedicated ICT room with Cubase and Sibelius software and a professional recording studio with live room and vocal booth. At the Brooklands Campus resources include a dance studio, drama suite, two music classrooms, seven practise rooms, a dedicated ICT room with Cubase and Sibelius software.
Music
Students will study performance, composition and listening skills through a variety of topics. In Year 7, the topics are Voice It, Rhythms around the world, Keyboard masterclass, Composing a melody, Film Music and Ensemble skills, Instruments of the Orchestra, Performing as a soloist. In Year 8 students study The Blues, Instruments of the Orchestra, World Music, Composing to a brief and more class ensemble skills.
Drama
KS3 Drama encourages the development and application of student imagination, communication and creativity whilst assessing progress in the three essential areas of making, performing and responding in Drama.
In Year 7 students study dramatic techniques, use of voice and ‘Our Day Out’ by Willy Russell. In Year 8 students build on this knowledge through devising Trestle Theatre, developing a scripted performance and comedy.
Performing Arts
This course provides a broad-based approach to the three disciplines of the Performing Arts to develop students’ knowledge, understanding and skills within dance, drama and music. The vocational context of the qualification is key to effective delivery, and this is provided through project briefs and assignments.
Music
Music GCSE AQA 4270
Students continue at KS4 to study performing, composing and listening.
Students will perform one solo and one ensemble in Year 11 of the course and they will compose two pieces of music using Music Technology under controlled conditions. At the end of the course students will complete a listening test including set works, currently Haydn: Symphony 101 in D major The Clock, 2nd Movement, YES and The Beatles Sergeant Pepper, With a Little Help from my Friends, Within You, Without You and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
Performing Arts BTEC L3
The course was introduced to capitalise on very highly motivated students with a passion for dance, drama and music. It should provide an excellent and broad educational base to enable each student to progress onto either Higher Education/University or employment within the Performing Arts Industries.
This provides a broad-based approach to the three disciplines of the Performing Arts to develop students’ knowledge, understanding and skills within dance, drama and music. The vocational context of the qualification is key to effective delivery, and this is provided through project briefs and assignments with a collective focus on Musical Theatre.
Music A Level- OCR
Students continue to listen, compose and perform. The A level is run as a linear course and is made up of three units of performing, composing, listening and appraising with a choice whether to major in performance or composition. Students analyse and evaluate familiar and unfamiliar pieces and answer questions based on aural extracts. The curriculum currently focuses in Y13 on Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488, 3rd movement and in Y12 on Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 61, 1st movement. Popular Song currently focuses in Y13 on Frank Sinatra: (i) I’ve got the world on a string, (ii) They can’t take that away from me, (iii) I’ve got you under my skin, (iv) Come fly with me and in Year 12 Nat King Cole: After Midnight – (i) Caravan, (ii) It’s only a paper moon, (iii) Blame it on my youth, (iv) When I grow too old to dream. Students also write two essays in the exam, one related to Developments in Instrumental Jazz 1910 to the present day and the other related to Programme Music 1820–1910.
Students are encouraged to fully participate in the life of the Music School from the Yamaha Music School through to leading choirs, orchestras and ensembles.
Trips to see live music making are encouraged, with regular visits to the BBC Proms and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Drama
The course demands practical, creative and communication skills in almost equal measure. You will extend your ability to create drama and theatre through performance. You will also be required to write about drama and to develop your powers of analysis to become an informed critic. The course will involve taking part in drama productions, as well as studying plays and playwrights.
You need to be curious about issues and ideas and have a creative instinct for communicating your views through drama. You may be keen on acting, writing or on the visual and technical side of theatre and wish to develop your skills in some or all of these areas. Equally you will be interested in going to the theatre to see plays performed by different theatre companies.
AS- Unit 1 – Exploration of Drama and Theatre: 40% of AS marks and 20% of A2 Unit 2 – Theatre Text in Performance: 60% of AS marks and 30% of A2
A2 - Unit 3 – Exploration of Dramatic Performance: 40% of AS marks and 20% of A2 Unit 4 – Theatre Text In Context: 60% of AS marks and 30% of A2
