One of the greatest advantages of our specialisation in the arts is the potential to enhance learning in all subjects across the curriculum.  The expertise of our in-house staff and their interdisciplinary collaboration allow for innovation in developing methods of teaching and learning which will engage the potential of every child.  

A varied and creative programme of teaching is key to sustaining interest and motivation among young people, and to communicating in ways which meet any child’s particular learning needs and style.  Putting the performing arts in every classroom as ‘live’ exercises, develops the ability of students to collaborate and to listen, to build empathy and to think and express themselves freely and with confidence.  Arts strategies also make it possible to explore subjects and issues in new ways, making them memorable when a student wants to reapply them.  The ‘joined-up’ learning which results from this creates benefits in every part of students’ school experience.  Staff have noted real improvements in attainment arising from the pioneering approaches to teaching we have developed in recent years.

Staff are encouraged to use arts tools as an everyday teaching resource but we have also established more comprehensive schemes of work such as the ‘Migration’ project linking Drama and Humanities, and the ‘Forces’ project combining Science, Drama, Dance, Music and Art, which is embedded throughout Key Stage 3.  Following these successes the Design and Technology faculty currently developing a project for Year 7 looking at technology in the theatre.