The design of our curriculum has been carefully developed over time to ensure that what we offer within Art is both broad and balanced. We aim to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, are able to actively participate in lessons, allowing them to experience and appreciate a range of different artistic disciplines. We aim to support our students by delivering rich and diverse learning experiences that allow them to explore a variety of practical skills, techniques and processes. These new skills, combined with creative thinking, allow our students to develop highly valuable and transferable skills that will support their future endeavours.

We promote the need for independence, not only in decision making but also encouraging accountability for their own learning and progress. We aim to foster a supportive working environment that allows all participants to contribute so that we are able to support each other in our decision making.

Our topics are designed in sequence to allow students to not only celebrate other cultures, encouraging diversity, but also to make them aware of the impact of art on society. These insights offer them the opportunity to build on their foundational skills and produce considered responses for their artwork.

Our key aims from the curriculum follow the federation’s ASPIRE strapline.

AMBITION – We want our pupils to be ambitious to improve their own practical artistic abilities, and to explore different media, styles, and artists.
SUCCESS – Understanding the role of art in both our own society and in other societies across the world.
PROGRESS – Knowledge and understanding of key artistic skills and concepts allows pupils to grow into confident and expressive artists in their own right.
INSPIRATION – Inspired by both historical and contemporary artists, our students strive to improve their knowledge, understanding, and technical artistic abilities.
RESPECT – In the Creative Arts, an environment of respect is created. This is respectful of all people in the classroom, as well as respect for the cultures that we are studying.
EQUALITY – Every pupil is given the same opportunities regardless of background. Through our curriculum, pupils appreciate their equality but recognise the inequality that exists locally and globally.

We hope that by the time students leave us they will have secured the following:

• A comprehensive knowledge of fundamental skills
• Strong drawing foundation
• Confidence to develop their own ideas
• The ability to articulate themselves through the use of subject specific vocabulary
• The ability to analyse and evaluate works of art

What do we expect students to get from Art?

• Students will gain experience of working with a broad range of media and materials, exploring a variety of art techniques and processes when developing their ideas.
• They will be able to make informed decisions about their artwork, refining their responses to a high standard.
• Students will investigate and analyse the work of past and contemporary artists to give them a deeper understanding of the subject.
• They will reflect on their work and evaluate and be able to recognise where improvements can be made.
• Students will develop an interest, enthusiasm and enjoyment for Art, craft and Design.
• They will be able to approach challenges and problems in different ways through new and more innovative approaches.

How does learning develop over the five years?

Year 7:

In year 7, students are introduced to the subject through the exploration of the formal elements of Art and Design. These are delivered through a series of projects which explore different artists, techniques and skills. Our year 7 students will begin to analyse the work of artists, both past and present, and will develop their own ideas, reflecting on their decision making as it progresses.

Year 8:

In year 8 students will have the opportunity to build upon the basic foundational skills that are established in year 7. They will continue to explore a range of different artists and draw upon a wider range of cultural backgrounds whose work begins to focus on more challenging themes. Due to the increase of challenge through subject matter, we will begin to see a steady progression of skills such as painting, drawing and design. Throughout this year we build upon the basic analysis skills from Year 7 to discuss and write about art in more depth and detail.

Year 9:

In year 9 students will not only refine the knowledge and skills gained throughout year 7 & 8, they will also have the opportunity to extend projects and themes further, allowing them to bridge the gap between Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4 studies. Each individual student is encouraged to use a wider and more advanced range of materials and processes to those used in year 7 & 8 (such as print-making). We continue to embed the core skills by revisiting our formal elements in a more rigorous and exploratory fashion, through the use of drawing, mark-making, colour and development of ideas. Pupils are shown how to write meaningful analyses in a fully -structured and detailed fashion, moving away from mere annotation and brief sentences to use fully explained and evidenced discursive writing.

Year 10/11:

Our curriculum for years 10 & 11 is purposefully designed to develop their skills and understanding with progressive complexity and sophistication, through a range of different workshops early in the course. This encourages students to be more independent about their decision making which allows them to engage with personal themes, preparing them for similar delivery at Key Stage 5. We aim to create an atmosphere that encourages students to engage with the subject outside of timetabled lessons.

How is the timetabled curriculum supplemented or enriched by other approaches to learning?

All art disciplines offer extra curricular clubs that are designed to support students and further their learning outside of timetabled lessons. School trips are organised to support the development of our students skills, offering inspiration through visual imagery. We are incredibly fortunate to have built strong links with local charitable organisations such as Independent Arts. This relationship has offered a wide range of artistic experiences that students across our Federation have been able to take part in.

We pride ourselves in ensuring that we have interesting and exciting displays that flows out of the classrooms and into the communal areas. We are keen to celebrate the success of our students, giving them the opportunity to showcase their work at regular events such as our Summer term awards evenings.

In what ways does our curriculum help to develop students?

• Confidence and Creativity: The Creative Faculty is at the heart of our Federation and the art work produced in response to our curriculum can be seen as a shining example of how our students develop their creativity and confidence within the subject.
• Aspiration: The showcasing of artwork across all key stages through displays, awards evenings, assemblies and half termly prizes help to build a sense of aspiration and achievement.
• Cultural awareness: Our curriculum is designed to develop an appreciation for cultural diversity. We achieve this by taking them on a journey around the world looking at artists from a variety of different countries, cultures and backgrounds.

What forms do assessments take? What is the purpose of assessment?

Our assessment covers a range of approaches such as:

• Class based self and peer assessments.
• Regular teacher marking and verbal feedback.
• KS3 progress mats allow students the opportunity to assess their own progress and set individual targets in order to achieve a higher level of attainment.

The purpose of our assessment process is to ascertain the current level of progress for each student. This allows us to effectively monitor, plan and develop a purposeful curriculum that offers opportunity for all students to make good or better progress.

How do we know if we have a successful curriculum?

Students are able to recall skills taught within previous lessons. They are able to articulate themselves clearly about their learning journey and can identify how skills and projects link not only on a week to week basis but also termly and yearly. We recognise all abilities and adapt teaching accordingly to ensure that all students are able to engage and produce meaningful work that they are proud of.

How do we support ‘High Attaining’ pupils?

We ensure that our assessment and feedback is focused and targeted to give students the opportunity to maximise their own progress. We carefully design and select tasks that can be adapted to extend the learning of high attaining students. Our extra curricular activities offer students the opportunity to further develop skills that are taught within lessons, allowing them to explore these within different contexts.

It is the intent of the Drama department to ensure that its students acquire the essential educational capital, cultural capital and social capital to which they are entitled. We aim to develop our student’s transferrable skills as well as provide them with the qualifications necessary for their chosen career paths. We aim to expose students to a variety of different performance styles through theatre trips and digital theatre experiences which will enrich their learning experience.

It is our intent that the skills learned are nurtured and developed throughout the course and students also apply these skills to the theoretical learning covered in lessons. It is also our intent that this knowledge is grounded in the key concepts, big ideas and experimentation of key practitioners in the Drama world and that students can challenge this thinking and apply new ideas of their own.

We believe that demanding and challenging work is an entitlement to all students, rather than something that is an ‘addition’ or an ‘enrichment’. Challenge must not be rationed for a small group of ‘more able’ students. It is our intent to push and challenge all students academically as a matter of course. Access to difficult material will be secured within lessons through talk, scaffolding, modelling, feedback and independent practice. It is our intent that teaching and learning will be routed in the science of learning and evidence informed.

Our key aims from the curriculum follow the federation’s ASPIRE strapline.

AMBITION – We want our pupils to be ambitious to improve their own practical performance skills, and to explore different dramatic styles and practitioners.
SUCCESS – Understanding the role of drama in both our own society and in other societies across the world.
PROGRESS – Knowledge and understanding of key dramatic skills and concepts allows pupils to grow into confident and expressive performers.
INSPIRATION – Inspired by both historical and contemporary playwrights and performers, our students strive to improve their knowledge, understanding, and practical abilities.
RESPECT – In the Creative Arts, an environment of respect is created. This is respectful of all people in the classroom, as well as respect for the cultures that we are studying.
EQUALITY – Every pupil is given the same opportunities regardless of background. Through our curriculum, pupils appreciate their equality but recognise the inequality that exists locally and globally.

What do we expect students to get from Drama?

Students will gain an understanding of different dramatic genres and contexts; they will learn about different practitioners and develop a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Drama pedagogy.

How does learning develop over the five years?

Year 7:

In Year 7, students will be introduced to the Drama department and to the extra-curricular programme offered within the Creative Faculty at IWEF. The topics and units of work covered in Year 7 are designed to familiarise students with the basic elements of rehearsal and performance, as well as teach them all of the fundamental skills they will require in order to navigate the curriculum. These skills include basic physical performance techniques, vocal performance techniques, and costume design, but perhaps more importantly how to work as a team, compromise, and work independently.

Year 8:

In Year 8, students will be encouraged to build upon the skills they have acquired in Year 7 and use them to explore different styles of rehearsal and performance. In Year 8 students have the opportunity to explore lots of different theatrical styles including Brecht, Theatre in Education, and Melodrama. Year 8 students will learn how to adapt performance techniques, and how to adapt and create work for both specific audiences and for specific reasons.

Year 9:

Year 9 is another exciting year with the curriculum building on the previous Drama projects whilst introducing devising elements. Students go on to also look at several contemporary issues that help to bring drama to life; thematic projects relating to mental health, social media, gangs, the London riots, again build on prior learning and offer a real world context to the learning established in Year 7 and 8. In addition, Year 9 students are offered the opportunity to take part in a live theatre events and digital theatre events.

Year 10/11:

What principles have guided our decision making in developing this curriculum? What is distinctive about our curriculum?

The Drama curriculum is distinctive as students will explore their imagination and the Dramatic world from their classroom, exploring:

• Devising and the role of key practitioners and physical theatre.
• Investigating live theatre and key texts to analyse and evaluate the modern theatre practices and their impact on audiences.
• Topics of study include: devised/scripted/written exam/portfolio creation and performance skills.
• Students are also encouraged to understand their role in society by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes.

How is the timetabled curriculum supplemented or enriched by other approaches to learning?

Workshops allow students to apply their knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate information and issues relating to Drama pedagogy. Additionally, students use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues, and communicate findings in relation to live theatre productions and set texts.

The department uses current affairs to support the learning of drama issues create devised work and schemes that are created. Extracurricular groups are designed to support students’ learning beyond the classroom. Regular public performances give real world performance experience which then strengthens both skills and confidence in our learners.

In what ways does our curriculum help to develop students?

• Cultural diversity and identity: various cultures and communities are studied within the various projects, ranging from diversity and inclusion, to the London Riots, and then to the cultural questions raised by Marlorie Blackman’s ‘Noughts and Crosses’.
• Physically and Mentally healthy lifestyles: Physical workshops ensure that students understand the necessity of healthy bodies and minds to create dynamic pieces of work.
• Community Participation: we continue to nurture our strong links with both the Island VI Form and professional venues across the Isle of Wight.

What forms do assessments take? What is the purpose of assessment?

Our assessment covers a range of approaches such as class based self and peer assessments based on workshops and an ‘end of unit’ reflection. The purpose of our assessments is to ascertain student progress, make informed and effective judgements on grades, and allow us to adjust and adapt the curriculum to support areas of weakness.

How do we know if we have a successful curriculum?

Students are able to recall skills taught within previous lessons. They are able to articulate themselves clearly about their learning journey and can identify how skills and projects link not only on a week to week basis but also termly and yearly. We recognise all abilities and adapt teaching accordingly to ensure that all students are able to engage and produce meaningful work that they are proud of.

How do we support ‘High Attaining’ pupils?

We ensure that our assessment and feedback is focused and targeted to give students the opportunity to maximise their own progress. We carefully design and select tasks that can be adapted to extend the learning of high attaining students. Our extra curricular activities offer students the opportunity to further develop skills that are taught within lessons, allowing them to explore these within different contexts.

The music curriculum aims to equip our students with the skills to perform music, to create their own compositional ideas, and to be able to describe music using subject-specific vocabulary. The projects in years 7, 8, and 9 are sequenced in a way that builds on these skills, whilst simultaneously exposing the students to different cultures, genres, and contexts. We aim to provide rich and diverse learning experiences that allow students to not only study existing practitioners but to also explore their own musicality through participation in both curricular and extracurricular programmes.

We aim to foster a supportive working environment that allows all participants an equal voice, an opportunity to contribute, and the facilities to ensure that they are not restricted in what they desire to achieve within the subject area at any level.

We aim to equip our students with instrumental skill in a variety of instruments, the ability to create music with others, a broad understanding of the role of music in our history and society, the capability to describe sound using subject-specific vocabulary, and the confidence to express their own musicality in whichever form they choose.

Our key aims from the curriculum follow the federation’s ASPIRE strapline.

AMBITION – We want our pupils to be ambitious to improve their own practical musicianship, and to explore both the history of music and music of different cultures.
SUCCESS – Understanding the role of music in both our own society and in other societies across the world.
PROGRESS – Knowledge and understanding of key musical skills and concepts allows pupils to grow into creative and expressive musicians.
INSPIRATION – Inspired by both historical and contemporary musicians and ensembles, our pupils strive to improve their own musicianship.
RESPECT – In the Creative Arts, an environment of respect is created. This is respectful of all people in the classroom, as well as respect for the cultures that we are studying.
EQUALITY – Every pupil is given the same opportunities regardless of background. Through our curriculum, pupils appreciate their equality but recognise the inequality that exists locally and globally.

What do we expect students to get from Music?

Students will learn and experience a wide range of music, the cultures from which they are taken, and the role of music throughout history and in today’s society. They will improve their practical instrumental skills through learning to play the music of other artists, and also their own musical explorations. They will acquire a specific musical vocabulary that allows them to describe sound and articulate how sound changes over time. Students will grow in confidence by performing both as a soloist and as a member of an ensemble. They will have the opportunity to pursue a variety of extracurricular activities that both complement and enhance the curriculum.

How does learning develop over the five years?

Year 7:

In the first term of Year 7, students learn how to appraise Music using the elements. They learn basic keyboard skills to build confidence, are introduced to pitch and rhythm in practice both through notation and through practical musicianship, and experience performing as both a soloist and as a member of an ensemble. Students are introduced to the orchestra and its instrument families as well as the roles within other ensembles such as a pop or rock group. Moving on through the year, they begin to learn music production skills with software; they focus on rhythmic performance and composition as well as studying the Western Classical tradition by investigating narrative in music and creating their own descriptive pieces. ‘Performing Skills’ projects improve students’ singing, instrumental skill, and ensemble performance.

Year 8:

Students learn how to perform, compose and appraise Music from a wide variety of genres, including electronic dance music and reggae, developing their own improvisation and composition skills using these as a starting point. Students develop their understanding of the orchestra and the history of western classical music, and develop their performance and ensemble skills through the study of key pieces of Western classical music and through studying and practising world musics such as West African drumming. The ‘Performing Skills’ projects return to continue to build upon prior learning in singing, instrumental skill, and ensemble performance.

Year 9:

Students explore composition to a set brief through the study of music for special occasions. They develop their understanding of the elements of music and composing to a brief through the study of film music, exploring the relationship between music and stage/screen leading directly into an area of study at both GCSE and A level Music. Students are introduced to the music industry; they learn about the different roles and responsibilities involved, and developing their understanding of the planning and delivery of music events. Students learn about a variety of popular music genres and explore the compositional process of songwriting. The ‘Performing Skills’ return again, building upon acquired musicianship at a higher level and providing a greater freedom for students to follow their own musical and instrumental interests.

Year 10/11:

The intention for KS4 Music is to ensure that the performing and composition skills of the students are fully developed within the GCSE framework. Our aims are that students are given a wealth of skills within their lessons and in a wider extra-curricular context to allow them to effectively and confidently communicate their intentions as composers as well as performers. It is also essential that students have ample opportunities to develop their technical skills with performance, composition, and listening/ appraisal. In addition to the academic and creative components of the course, the KS4 music curriculum is a creative outlet for stress – it enhances resilience and determination as well as the ability to use constructive criticism to support progress.

How is the timetabled curriculum supplemented or enriched by other approaches to learning?

A variety of musical extra-curricular clubs and performance opportunities are offered, both within school and in the wider community. These projects support the improvement of performance skills and also allow us to showcase composition projects. Trips to see live music are fundamental to both support and widen students’ understanding of contextual music, whilst providing both inspiration and aspiration to our learners.

In what ways does our curriculum help to develop students?

• Cultural diversity and identity: students study music from the Western Classical tradition, Popular and Jazz music, as well as World music. They investigate the role and importance of music in different settings and cultures to better understand the world in which they live.
• Community Participation: regular performing opportunities and workshops take place within the wider community.
• Technology and the media: students learn to use industry standard software to create their own music; acquiring skills that prepare them for future learning and careers in the music industry.

What forms do assessments take? What is the purpose of assessment?

Our assessment covers a range of approaches such as:

• Class based self and peer assessments.
• Regular teacher marking and verbal feedback.
• KS3 progress mats allow students the opportunity to assess their own progress and set individual targets in order to achieve a higher level of attainment. 

The purpose of our assessment process is to ascertain the current level of progress for each student. This allows us to effectively monitor, plan and develop a purposeful curriculum that offers opportunity for all students to make good or better progress.

How do we know if we have a successful curriculum?

Students are able to recall skills taught within previous lessons. They are able to articulate themselves clearly about their learning journey and can identify how skills and projects link not only on a week to week basis but also termly and yearly. We recognise all abilities and adapt teaching accordingly to ensure that all students are able to engage and produce meaningful work that they are proud of.

How do we support ‘High Attaining’ pupils?

We ensure that our assessment and feedback is focused and targeted to give students the opportunity to maximise their own progress. We carefully design and select tasks that can be adapted to extend the learning of high attaining students. Our extra curricular activities offer students the opportunity to further develop skills that are taught within lessons, allowing them to explore these within different contexts.