INNOVATE . FOCUS . ACHIEVE
At Boldon School, all aspects of the school ethos, ‘Innovate, Focus and Achieve’ are underpinned across each subject area. In English, we strive to embed these principles within our curriculum:
Innovate: To create innovative and progressive schemes of work which are well-sequenced to ensure excellent student outcomes.
Focus: A clear drive and focus key threads for reading, writing and spoken language;
A relentless drive to sharpen key knowledge concepts and ensure understanding of portable themes.
To ensure that all lessons widen the scope and appreciation of grammar, vocabulary and subject content.
Achieve: The aim is to ensure proficiency in reading, writing and oracy; this is key to social mobility. Our robust curriculum is designed to build strong foundations in knowledge and understanding which lead to academic and personal success. We want our students to enjoy the subject, and be inspired to be innovative in their responses, to focus on skill acquisition and implementation and, ultimately, to achieve their true potential. Students will be well-skilled to succeed in their next steps, whether it be education, further training or the world of employment.
Each of our curriculum areas are carefully designed with the students at the heart of our thinking. The intent is for the framework for each programme of study in the National Curriculum to be well planned and sequenced to enable all students to build their knowledge and skills towards the agreed end points at each key stage. We consider how this is taught in order to support our students and ensure this is implemented effectively. For the desired impact to be reflected in the outcomes that students achieve through the education they have received.
This is embedded across each subject area: Dance
Intent:
The structure of our curriculum is based on the RSL Vocational course in Performing and Creative Arts within the Dance specialism. This allows all students to explore ambitious and sequential content within a progressive curriculum. Schemes of work are carefully designed to enable students to gain the skills and understanding to develop their own creative flair and progress in a range of situations and dance styles. Each year the curriculum has set concepts for students to learn and progress but these are always tailored, adapted and changed to the cohort within that year group. Lessons are bespoke and unique to all students with the opportunity to not only be creative but enhance their literacy skills through key vocabulary, especially in the ensemble dance unit where they encounter key word glossary terms to express their own knowledge of their strengths and areas for development in an evaluative skills audit. A range of stimulus’ are used to inform movements including reading set texts or poetry to become more inquisitive and apply creative intentions as well as lyrics, music, images and professional work.
Cultural capital is enhanced through opportunities to visit theatres, have visiting dance performances from level 3 university students as well as guest speakers. External choreographers are brought in to enhance the skills, knowledge and understanding across various dance styles and to challenge learners in certain disciplines. This provides aspirational qualities within our dancers as well as the opportunity to work alongside professionals who can answer their interest and desire in this area. We constantly review our curriculum to develop students’ thirst for knowledge by reviewing practice and the way concepts are introduced and explored. We aim to plug the gaps of knowledge encountered in the current climate and build the long term memory of our students through retrieval and retention activities. We also recognise that confidence has deteriorated in some students when performing and this needs to be built up and strengthened through discrete but meaningful activities.
The dance course is tailored to build resilience and empathy skills, listening to others and developing their communication. It is imperative that everyone has a voice and everyone feels that they are being listened to. Choreography and creative performance skills are centred around interlinking and cooperating. Not only does our dance course make students academically equipped through developing literacy but also focuses on their wellbeing through preparing them emotionally and psychologically by building their confidence, self-esteem and beliefs in their own abilities.
Implementation:
The dance curriculum is progressively planned to encompass two key areas of study. The Ensemble Dance Unit is internally assessed through investigation into a range of dance styles, log book entries in an analysis of performance and finally the development, rehearsal and performance of a chosen style. The Live Performance Unit is externally assessed and delivered as an examination piece where students use their exploration skills to centre their work around set criteria provided by the board. They research this task, rehearse their own planned choreography, decide on set and costumes, with a performance in front of a live audience and evaluation of their skills.
The sequenced lessons are underpinned by clear assessment points that are built around non negotiable criteria to ensure students are retaining the information required for them to succeed and progress. ICT is used often for the students to reflect on their own practice and develop their interpretations and ideas. They analyse their dynamic range in performance, spatial awareness, movement memory and timing.
The Faculty Leader oversees the delivery of the course content and supported by the Faculty Coordinator they ensure the scheme of work is being implemented efficiently and effectively. In turn, the success of the course is supported by a faculty of dedicated staff who are experts in the key concepts delivered on the course, creating engaging lessons and robust resources to support learning. All teaching staff have the opportunity to learn and develop with continued professional development through a range of in house development opportunities from each other as well as the examination board and other relevant bodies. We thrive on learning new contexts and ensuring our students have the best experience whilst on their learning journey.
Staff members are reflective and reflexive in their practice, using multiple teaching methods and assessment materials to monitor the progress of individual students. Intervention is then put in place to accurately target and identify specific students. Formative and summative assessments are designed to assess the students capabilities to retrieve knowledge and embed prior learning as well as giving them an understanding of their current progress and taking ownership for learning. These assessments are varied in their implementation and follow different formats to mirror the course requirements and also to encourage a deeper thinking. Feedback is continuous and in greater depth through the use of our quality marks at key assessment points.
Key roles are spread across the faculty with members of staff leading in their area of expertise to develop and support in curriculum delivery.
Student progress is monitored with a robust system across the faculty, with data entry and discussions between teaching staff and faculty leader/ coordinator. This is then quality assured by the SLT line manager in regular meetings to discuss progress and the impact of
Impact:
Historically, the examination results from Dance are well above the SPI data in comparison. Students perform well and attain their target grade or beyond, no matter what their starting point. Exam results are analysed and discussed to monitor the effectiveness and impact of our well-taught scheme of work. These are also reported to other senior leaders and the governing body to ensure challenge and accountability. Staff are well aware of the faculties key priorities, and regular monitoring is complete through learning walks and student voice. This is a valuable planning tool used to inform leaders about the enjoyment of lessons and the impact of the scheme of work on learning. Feedback is used to make alterations and enhance the course going forward.
As well as the Senior Leadership Team, external review by school improvement officers ensure we are delivering a diverse and challenging course tailored to the needs of students as individuals. This allows our students to leave school with the qualifications, drive and ambition to enter further education, training or employment and have ambition and determination.