Performing Arts
'Why do we teach music? Not because we expect you to major in music. Not because we expect you to play and sing all your life. Not so you can relax. But so you will be human. So you will recognise beauty. So you will be sensitive. So you will have something to cling to. So you will have more love, compassion, more gentleness, more good, in short, more life. Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live? That is why we teach music.'
Music
Music at Co-op Academy North Manchester offers a broad range of musical experience, both as part of the curriculum and the extra-curricular provision. Our vision is to ensure all pupils have the opportunity to learn an instrument and participate in music.
In Music, all pupils gain experience of listening, performance, composition and group work. They learn to perform and compose in a variety of musical genres and develop a love for music. Across the curriculum we look at a broad range of musical styles from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
The department has a strong link with One Education and Anthem Music service, and they are the main provider’s of our instrumental lessons. Including One Education staff the department consists of 7 members of staff including peripatetic teachers with 2 full-time classroom teachers, one of which is split between drama and music. Each member of staff brings individual specialisms, allowing us to offer a wide range of instruments and musical experience. The current offer of instruments is listed below:
- Singing/Vocal lessons
- Piano/Keyboard lessons
- Brass lessons – Trombone, trumpet, horn, euphonium
- Woodwind – Saxophone, clarinet
- Acoustic, electric, and Bass Guitar lessons
- Drum & percussion lessons
- Steel Pans
We provide opportunities for our pupils to perform and showcase music on a daily basis with music provided each morning in school assemblies. We provide music across the academy and community with performances at Open Evenings, Reward Evenings, the Academy Christmas concert, Summer Showcase, Y7 Big Sings Carol singing at the local Care Home. Cabaret evening, School Production.
Drama
When structuring the KS3 curriculum, the aims were for the pupils to establish and develop key knowledge and skills as well as be introduced to a broad range of dramatic texts, experiences and styles. It is imperative that the pupils are also exposed to various components of theatrical roles and responsibilities and understand the place of drama and theatre within our culture as a society. Plays, styles and genres have therefore been thoughtfully selected, ensuring all pupils are exposed to a broad range of texts that are both intriguing and relatable to the context of the school and in promotion of the academy's values. Pupils feel empowered within drama, and are most empowered in their learning when challenged. An education in Drama is the perfect platform in which to make a difference in the world around us. Issues regarding inclusion can be solved by removing ignorance and replacing it with open-mindedness and curiosity. Learning about others' experiences through empathising with those in dissimilar situations to our own ensures that confidence, cultural awareness, compassion, commitment, trust and respect are at the centre of what we do.
Dance
The Dance curriculum has been developed to ensure all pupils have an opportunity to experience dance skills and build on knowledge through different styles and cultures. Pupils will refine and develop their performance skills, choreography skills and appreciative skills. The KS3 curriculum enables pupils to demonstrate their creativity within dance as a subject and this is regularly checked through verbal feedback and discussion and assessments through teacher modelling, peer and self-evaluation. KS3 curriculum embeds and deepens understanding of key subject terminology and vocabulary.
How is the curriculum delivered?
At KS3 across Performing Arts we aim to give a broad range of experiences within Dance, Drama and Music. Dance and Drama at KS3 pupils receive one hour over the two-week timetable. In music KS3 pupils receive 2 hours. With the limited teaching time across KS3 it is important for SOLs at KS3 to give pupils a lot of practical experience across all three areas, while embedding key vocabulary and technical language allowing pupils to develop performance, composition, devising and choreography skills. To enable pupils to have a foundation to build on leading into the GCSE & BTEC courses.
Assessment in the Performing Arts department is done in two ways.
The Performance Assessment assesses the practical performance of pupils and their abilities to perform in the three disciplines of Drama, Music and Dance. For example, in Drama, pupils could be asked to prepare a performance of a scene from a play; in Music, pupils would perform a piece of music as a solo or in a group; in Dance, pupils would perform a dance routine as a solo or in a group. Performances are recorded and verbal feedback is given according to the assessment criteria.
The Knowledge Assessment is a written test given at the end of each topic. The questions are a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions followed by some longer questions towards the end. This assesses pupils’ knowledge of the subject, vocabulary and understanding of what they see and hear in performance. For example, in Music, pupils might be asked to discern what instruments they can hear playing or how many beats there are in a bar; in Drama, pupils might be asked to describe the tone of voice they would use to speak a line from a play; in Dance pupils might be asked to evaluate their performance of a dance action.Qualifications offered
GCSE AQA Music
- Topics of Study:
- Solo/Ensemble Performance
- Composition
Aos 1 Western classical Tradition 1650 -1910
Aos 2 Popular Music
Aos 3 Traditional Music
Aos 4 Western classical traditions since 1910
GCSE AQA Drama
Topics of study:
Component One: Understanding Drama
- Theatre Roles and Responsibilities
- Study of a Set Text: Blood Brothers
- Live Theatre Review
Component Two: Devising Drama
- Creating Drama from a Stimulus
- Describing, Analysing and Evaluating own performance.
Component Three: Texts in Practice
- Performing in/designing for two extracts from the same play.
GCSE AQA Dance
Topics of study:
Performance
- Two set studies pieces
- Duo/Trio performance
Chorography
Dance Appreciation
- Knowledge and understanding of Choreographic processes and performing skill
- Critical Appreciation of own work
- Critical appreciation of six Professional Dance works
Pearsons BTEC - Performing Arts
Topics of study:
Component One: Exploring the Performing Arts
- Theatre Roles and Responsibilities
- Study of a live performance.
- Application of performance styles in practice.
Component Two: Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts
- Performing in/designing for extracts from a published repertoire.
Component Three: Responding to a brief
- Performing in/designing for a new performance based on a set brief
- Describing, analysing and evaluating ideas and skills in own performance.
Wider Learning Opportunities
In Performing Arts, we offer a wide variety of experiences and opportunities. Extra-curricular plays a vital role within our offer. In February, we proudly presented our community with our 2024 school production of Matilda Jr. This is an opportunity for pupils across all performing arts subjects to instil the co-op value of working together to create a wider school production.
The department is committed to working with a wide variety of arts organisations to enhance the offer for our pupils. In 2024, we are taking part in our second Abram Wilson project after a very successful 2023 project with a diverse group of Year 9 pupils, many of whom have gone on to take GCSE or BTEC Music. This year we also have seven Year 9 pupils involved in a Science and Music composition project with visiting composer Zakiya Leeming, PRiSM Artist and Producer in Residence at the RNCM.
As a department, extra-curricular activities play a vital role in giving pupils wider opportunities and time to learn and develop their skills within Dance Drama & Music outside of the classroom. We offer the following:
- Guitar Club
- Drumming group
- Keyboard Club
- Choir
- Brass group
- Big Band
- Jam Club
- Steel pans
- Ks4 Music Intervention
- Soul Band
- Dance Club
- KS3 Drama Club
- Break Dance Manchester
- Show Club
We provide external experiences to enrich the curriculum, through workshops, trips and performance opportunities. We aim to create performance opportunities for pupils, with performances at open evenings, school assemblies, Christmas concerts, Summer Showcase, Dance shows, and a whole school production.
These opportunities are open to all. With some groups being more GCSE focused. We encourage all pupils to attend at least one extra-curricular club. Each term there is an opportunity for pupils to showcase their talents and musical skills in music concerts or productions or assemblies, as outlined above.
Music and performing arts are embedded in the culture at Co-op Academy North Manchester, and we truly believe that Performing Arts is open to all. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in and engage in music and performing arts on a daily basis, and we strive to create a lifelong love for the subject.
The links below explain what knowledge, understanding and skills pupils learn about in each subject, as well as how they are assessed.
| Music Curriculum | Drama Curriculum | Dance Curriculum |
|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | Year 7 | Year 7 |
| Year 8 | Year 8 | Year 8 |
| Year 9 | Year 9 | Year 9 |
| Year 10 | Year 10 | Year 10 |
| Year 11 | Year 11 | Year 11 |