Expressive Arts Curriculum Intent Statement

Intent

What will our pupils experience throughout their Expressive Arts curriculum at Longcause?

We aim to foster an inspiring and enjoyable learning experience for all students. We strive to create an environment where pupils feel secure to express themselves and communicate meaningfully with others. We aim to inspire our pupils, growing their cultural capital through a diverse and creative curriculum.  

Why do we want this?

We strive to: 

• Inspire positive personal expression in our students.
• Develop students ability to communicate with others confidently and effectively with others through a creative outlet
• Grow students' cultural capital through their experience of a wide range of creative cultural influences.

Implementation

• Music
• Drama 
• Music & Movement 

These strands are implemented weekly through Expressive Arts lessons from KS1 to the end of KS3 on a rotation, changing each half term.  The study of the subject differs for children in the Early Years, as they follow the EYFS curriculum.  To provide further opportunities for our pupils in KS4 and also those pupils across the whole school who show a specific interest and talent within Expressive Arts, further opportunities are provided for pupils to take part in a range of creative experiences including school choir, teacher led workshops, workshops with industry professionals, school performances and talent shows.

To ensure a broad coverage, where pupils are given time to rehearse and overlearn skills,  each area of the curriculum is taught at specific points throughout the year as part of a rolling program. The focus of each term is the same across the school and specified within our coverage map as either ‘Music’, ‘Drama’ or ‘Music and Movement’.  We recognise that Expressive Arts is a subject that lends itself well to cross curricular learning. Therefore we are keen to promote opportunities to extend and rehearse students’ learning through other subjects, including but not limited to, Drama within English and Music and Movement within PE. 

Impact:

• Enrichment of pupils’ cultural capital by exposing them to a range of performance art that they may not have encountered before
• Promotion of wellbeing and building self esteem through social learning opportunities and exposure to performance in front of an audience. 

Through Expressive Arts at Longcause, we foster and environment where pupils can:

• Explore and experiment with music and drama, developing their own self expression via a range of techniques
• Develop their communication skills through engagement with their peers working towards a common goal
• Gain enjoyment and confidence
• Perform themselves or as part of a group, in front of an audience