Performing Arts

At Holte School, we offer a wide range of Performing Arts activities, including Music and Drama lessons at KS3. We are fortunate to have several specialist staff in both Music and Drama, and are supported by a Music technician. We also have a number of specialist teaching spaces, including two Drama studios, and a large hall suitable for performances.

KEY STAGE 3

During Key stage 3 (Years 7 and 8), we teach Music and Drama as separate subjects. This enables pupils to fully explore the subject. Within both subjects, performing is mandatory, which develops confidence and techniques which can be applied in a variety of situations and subjects.

 In KS3 we cover the following topics:

 DRAMA

Drama at Holte School plays a vital role in the process of successful learning. It also plays an important function in the personal, social and moral development of pupils and generates a vibrant and creative culture throughout the school.

It provides all students with a number of transferable skills that will not only help them throughout their school life, but well into their own futures.

Team work, creativity, speaking, listening, evaluation and analysis are all at the fore-front of what we do in Drama at Holte School and we provide a curriculum that enables our students to learn about themselves and the world they live in.

MUSIC

YEAR 7

• Staff Notation and Keyboard Skills – We use Fanny Waterman’s book ‘Me and My Piano’ as the basis for this unit, which introduces pupils to Western staff notation, as well as basic performance techniques on the piano.

• Elements of Music – The building blocks of music, elements of music is fully integrated into every unit of work at Key Stage 3

• Instruments of the Orchestra – We look at the different sections of the orchestra, and how they all blend together to create music.

• Theme and Variation – Following on from Staff Notation, we take music, and look at ways to change and develop music.

• Gamelan Performance and Composition – During the Spring Term, we perform music from Indonesia, examining the cultural and religious reasons for the music. We also use the techniques learned to create our own music.

 YEAR 8 

• Ground Bass Performance and Composition – Taking a simple melody as a bass part, we develop performances using Pachelbel’s Canon. Following this, we take this music as a basis for our own composition.

• Film Music – We look at the history of film music, from silent movies to modern day, composing our own music to a short piece of film.

• Reggae Performance – Using Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ for our performance, we explore cultural issues regarding the development of Reggae, and look at a number of pioneering artists, including Steel Pulse.

YEAR 9

This is a Foundation course for Year 9 pupils in Performing Arts. This course enables pupils to develop skills in a range of disciplines within the subject in preparation for when they begin the BTec course in Year 10.

Pupils are be expected to perform regularly, both to the class, and to a wider audience.

 KEY STAGE 4

Pupils study the BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts & Music. This is a two year course, which is predominantly coursework based, including assessed practical rehearsals and performances.

Over the two years, there are three components (or units) of work, as outlined below. Each unit has a variety of written and practical tasks, with all three components completed in the prescribed 120 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

All pupils are given the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular activities.

We have visiting instrumental tutors from Birmingham Music Service, who teach the Dhol and Samba drumming (of which we have two large Samba bands).

Alongside instrumental lessons, we offer tuition in keyboard, drumming, drama, guitar, and vocals (including rapping). There are a number of pupils who work together in rock bands, performing within school events.