The Arts (Creative & Performing)

• Break down preconceived attitudes towards stereotypes of the arts or artists.
• Performing arts can be objective (skill based) or subjective, providing opportunities for safe/unjudged explorative expressions of creativity through the medium of dance, drama, music, art or design.
• Develop proficiency as musicians, artists, designers, actors and dancers.
• Acquire audience skills such as listening, art appreciation and viewing responsively.
• Interpret and present their own or others’ work to a range of audiences, performance skills, confidence building.
• Evaluate the different roles of artists in society such as to entertain, provoke debate or challenge views and perceptions.
• Create and critique plays, dances and compositions using a variety of tools and techniques.
• Express feelings, ideas, experiences and beliefs in a variety of ways, improve coordination, flexibility, agility, strength and fine motor skills.

Music is taught by class teachers during The Arts time. We also have a Steel Band which meets weekly and is led by our Music Teacher, Matthew Dixon. Many of our students in Learning Pathway 2 and 3 participate in Steel Band and we have performed locally at Light up in the Town in Swanley. We are keen to develop our links with the community through our Steel Band. 1-1 tuition and Music Therapy is provided by Matthew Dixon and we also have a guitar teacher who visits once a week. We have had a number of students receive guitar and piano qualifications. Teachers are encouraged to expose the children to all forms of music genres and a wide range of composers and musicians and we encourage listening to music from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. Outside companies are invited into school annually to work with all students.

Dance plays an important part within the PE curriculum and, like drama, is also accessed within festivals and school productions.Students undertake dance units of work within PE lessons and, for approximately 6 weeks per year, all students have the opportunity to have specialised dance sessions with our dance teacher from Step Into Dance. Step into Dance is a dance company with links to The Royal Academy of Ballet. This facility is beneficial as it provides valuable dance coaching. During each academic year each student will have the opportunity to engage in dance from other cultures.

Drama has many cross curricular links and is an extremely useful tool for improving children’s self-esteem, confidence, speaking and listening, and social skills. Children are offered Drama opportunities within the classroom and also in school productions. Opportunities to watch theatre productions either in school or as a visit are arranged annually. We currently plan for a Christmas concert and a Summer production, as well as having links with Shakespeare in School and Procoda.

The art curriculum is designed to the students the opportunities to use a variety of materials when producing creative work, to appreciate the work other artists, and to explore ideas and become creative and critical thinkers. Lessons are taught by teachers and follow our Parkwood Hall curriculum so that key skills are developed to show creativity and progress. We aim for all students to have experiences of mark making, drawing, painting, making and sculpture, and to be able to evaluate and analyse their own work, and that of well-known artists and crafts people. We will proudly celebrate the arts in our school, and share our many successes with different audiences.

Parkwood Hall recognises the importance of school productions and, as such, devotes some curriculum time for rehearsals and performances. Productions are organised by class teachers and assistants. All students participate in a performance throughout an academic year. These productions have many cross curricular links, particularly in Literacy and PHSE, and as well as rehearsals, lessons linked to the productions are taught in class e.g. extended writing based on the production.