Creative Arts Faculty

Ms S Bohannon- bohannons@denbigh.net
Mrs L Clegg- cleggl@denbigh.net
Mr S Frost- frosts@denbigh.net
Miss H Ings- ingsh@denbigh.net
Mr M Jackson- jacksonm@denbigh.net
Miss C O’rourke- orourkec@denbigh.net
Miss E Tattam- tattame@denbigh.net
Mr D Wilkie- wilkied@denbigh.ne

Faculty Information

The Creative Arts Faculty is a hive of energy and imagination, and our committed team of staff offer inclusive opportunities for all students to engage in creative pursuits both inside and outside of lessons.

We are fortunate to have exceptional facilities.  We have three open-plan art rooms on the top floor complete with storage and a kiln.  Downstairs we have a purpose-built ‘Meeting Hall’ which is split into two spaces, with a moveable partition.  We use both spaces as drama classrooms, with a range of impressive audio-visual equipment and storage space.  We have two music classrooms, one of which includes bi-fold doors leading to an outdoor performance space, ‘the amphitheatre’ where audiences can watch our break time concerts on the stone steps.  We also have a dedicated Music Technology room with a suite of computers with digital audio workstations.  We have an instrument storage space and three music practice rooms primarily used by peripatetic teachers during the School day.

We feel very strongly that our extra-curricular opportunities should be inclusive and are there for all members of our Denbigh community, regardless of whether they have opted to study Creative Arts subjects at examination level.   We regularly refresh our offers and encourage students to set up their own clubs and rehearsals. A few examples of our regular clubs are Musical Theatre, Art, Band Development, Orchestra, and an A-Capella singing group.

The Faculty also presents larger productions. In the last two years, our students have performed ‘Matilda the Musical’ by special commission and license from the Royal Shakespeare Company, entered the Shakespeare Schools Festival performing ‘Julius Caesar’; performed a sell-out production of ‘We Will Rock You’ complete with live band; put on a production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, and performed an intimate thrust version of the play, ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly.

The Creative Arts Faculty at Denbigh is a bustling environment where you will find students rehearsing, and working outside of classroom hours regularly and you will find staff committed to realising students’ potential in their creative endeavours.

Art

Art is all around you.  From the moment you pick up your smartphone and see a wallpaper image on your screen of a decorative pattern, a character design, a painting by a famous artist, a photograph you have taken, you are bombarded with the formal elements of art.  The wallpaper (or coloured paint) on the walls, the statue in the front room, the poster on the side of the bus.  Prevalent throughout history, Art is seen in ways many people cannot imagine.  Cultures use mud to create masks; artists paint a gigantic apple squeezed into a tiny room; an everyday soup can or bottle of coke can be called Art.

In Art lessons, we want all students to experience Art from around the world, both historic and contemporary.  To see that picking up a pencil and drawing with it is Art, but that drawing can also be in colour, with a pen, with a spatula and glue and with a finger dipped in paint.  We want all students to be encouraged by experimentation and not be afraid to have a go at something new and take risks.  Students are always encouraged to be analytical about the work of others and critical (and complimentary) of their own.  We know that Art will always be a part of our diverse society and our creative industries, and we believe it is something to be really excited about.

Year 7

Autumn 1st half term	Tone and Texture
Autumn 2nd half term	Tone and Texture
Spring 1st half term	Pattern
Spring 2nd half term	Pattern
Summer 1st half term	Colour Theory
Summer 2nd half term	Colour Theory

Year 8

Autumn 1st half term	African Culture
Autumn 2nd half term	African Culture
Spring 1st half term	Mexican Day of the Dead/Coco
Spring 2nd half term	Mexican Day of the Dead/Coco
Summer 1st half term	Portraiture
Summer 2nd half term	Portraiture

Year 9

Autumn 1st half term	Natural Forms
Autumn 2nd half term	Man Made objects
Spring 1st half term	Still life final outcome
Spring 2nd half term	The Coast
Summer 1st half term	The Coast
Summer 2nd half term	The Coast final outcome/Cultural Identity introduction

Year 10

Autumn 1st half term	Cultural Identity
Autumn 2nd half term	Cultural Identity
Spring 1st half term	Cultural Identity final outcome
Spring 2nd half term	Contrast
Summer 1st half term	Contrast
Summer 2nd half term	Contrast final outcome/Personal Expression introduction

Year 11

Autumn 1st half term	Personal Expression
Autumn 2nd half term	Personal Expression
Spring 1st half term	Personal Expression final outcome/Exam briefs released
Spring 2nd half term	Exam Preparation
Summer 1st half term	Examination
Summer 2nd half term	N\A

Year 12

Autumn 1st half term	Built Environment
Autumn 2nd half term	Built Environment
Spring 1st half term	Built Environment final outcome
Spring 2nd half term	Age
Summer 1st half term	Age
Summer 2nd half term	Age final outcome/Personal project introduction

Year 13

Autumn 1st half term	Personal Project
Autumn 2nd half term	Personal Project/Written Element
Spring 1st half term	Personal project final outcome/Exam briefs released
Spring 2nd half term	Exam Preparation
Summer 1st half term	Exam
Summer 2nd half term	N\A

Drama

Drama lessons at Denbigh encourage creativity, imagination and teach Drama as a discreet body of knowledge, in addition to acknowledging its wide range of transferable skills.  The three key areas of learning in Drama are performing script, devising drama, and evaluating and analysing others’ performances.  All three areas are taught throughout our curriculum in Year 7 all the way through to Year 13 in A Level study.

Students learn about effective communication for an audience in terms of physical and vocal acting skills. The students will then build upon this foundation and learn about different styles of theatre from physical theatre, melodrama, epic theatre, naturalism and develop performance skills to suit these styles. Students will perform scripts in particular styles and then devise their own drama, inspired by a range of stimuli, and use style and theatre practitioners to develop their work.  Students will evaluate one another’s work verbally and then develop to writing extended analytical reviews of professional live theatre.

Our facilities support the teaching of Theatre Design and students are introduced to this from Year 7 in addition to developing their performance skills. Drama offers a creative environment for experimentation and an opportunity to explore the lives of a range of different characters, places, and time periods.

Year 7

Autumn 1st half term	Communicating Meaning
Autumn 2nd half term	Communicating Meaning
Spring 1st half term	Antigone and Greek Theatre
Spring 2nd half term	Design elements
Summer 1st half term	Physical Theatre
Summer 2nd half term	Devising Drama

Year 8

Autumn 1st half term	Tension
Autumn 2nd half term	Epic Theatre
Spring 1st half term	Epic Theatre
Spring 2nd half term	Naturalism
Summer 1st half term	Devising Drama
Summer 2nd half term	Devising Drama

Year 9

Autumn 1st half term	Style and Genre Devising
Autumn 2nd half term	Style and Genre Devising
Spring 1st half term	Mock scripted practical
Spring 2nd half term	Mock scripted practical
Summer 1st half term	Written exam – study of set text
Summer 2nd half term	Written exam – study of set text

Year 10

Autumn 1st half term	Devising techniques, style, genre and practitioner
Autumn 2nd half term	Stimuli booklet released from exam board Devising Drama 30% NEA
Spring 1st half term	Devising Drama 30% NEA
Spring 2nd half term	Devising Drama 30% NEA
Summer 1st half term	Presenting and Performing Texts 30%
Summer 2nd half term	Presenting and Performing Texts 30%

Year 11

Autumn 1st half term	Written exam – study of set text and Play Review
Autumn 2nd half term	Written exam – study of set text and Play Review
Spring 1st half term	Presenting and Performing Texts 30%
Spring 2nd half term	Presenting and Performing Texts 30%
Summer 1st half term	Written exam revision
Summer 2nd half term	N/A

Year 12

Autumn 1st half term	Introduction to theatre practitioners Component 1 – Study of set text one
Autumn 2nd half term	Component 2 – Devising Drama Component 1 – Study of set text one
Spring 1st half term	Component 2 – Devising Drama Component 1 – Study of set text one
Spring 2nd half term	Component 2 – Devising Drama Component 3 Workshop scripted extract 1
Summer 1st half term	Component 3 Workshop scripted extracts 1 and 2 and written Reflective Report
Summer 2nd half term	Component 1 Study of set text two Component 3 Workshop scripted extracts 1 and 2 and written Reflective Report

Year 13

Autumn 1st half term	Component 3 – performance of scripted extract 3 and Reflective Report
Autumn 2nd half term	Component 3 – performance of scripted extract 3 and Reflective Report
Spring 1st half term	Component 1 – written exam revision
Spring 2nd half term	Component 1 – written exam revision
Summer 1st half term	Component 1 – written exam revision
Summer 2nd half term	N/A

Music

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. The high quality music education at Denbigh engages and inspires pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As students progress, they develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical world.

At Denbigh we have curated exciting and engaging schemes of work for all year groups that cover a broad range of experiences, musical backgrounds and cultures, and allows students to build their performance, composition, and appraisal skills, as well as their personal discipline and independence, creativity, collaborative group working skills, respect for others, and self-esteem through personal accomplishment.

Year 7

Autumn 1st half term	Elements of Music
Autumn 2nd half term	Keyboard Skills
Spring 1st half term	I’ve got rhythm
Spring 2nd half term	Hooks and Riffs
Summer 1st half term	Form and structure
Summer 2nd half term	Instruments of the Orchestra

Year 8

Autumn 1st half term	Samba
Autumn 2nd half term	Blues and Jazz
Spring 1st half term	Computer Game Music
Spring 2nd half term	Popular Music
Summer 1st half term	Minimalism
Summer 2nd half term	Music for Film and Television

Year 9

Autumn 1st half term	Music Theory
Autumn 2nd half term	Solo performance
Spring 1st half term	Brandenburg Concerto
Spring 2nd half term	Piano Sonata
Summer 1st half term	Introduction to Composition
Summer 2nd half term	Ensemble Performance

Year 10

Autumn 1st half term	Music for Stage and Screen
Autumn 2nd half term	Fusions
Spring 1st half term	Fusions wider listening
Spring 2nd half term	Music for Stage and Screen
Summer 1st half term	Free Composition
Summer 2nd half term	Composition

Year 11

Autumn 1st half term	Set works revision
Autumn 2nd half term	Set works revision
Spring 1st half term	Composition
Spring 2nd half term	Performance
Summer 1st half term	Exam Revision
Summer 2nd half term	N/A

Music Technology

Music Technology is the study of creating music using technology.  Whilst studying this subject, students will learn about using music production software and equipment, musical styles, the history and development of technology and the principles and practices of Music Technology.  Modern music and media rely on the effective use of Music Technology which makes the subject both exciting and rewarding to study. 

During Years 7 and 8, the music curriculum will explore some of the basic elements of technology with occasional opportunities to work with computers and music.  When students make their GCSE option choices, they can choose the VCert Music Technology course as one of their options.  This course explores the foundation skills of Music Technology through the completion of portfolios of work and examinations.  If students choose to continue into our Sixth Form, we offer the Edexcel Music Technology A Level course.  The A level covers a broad range of knowledge and skills and is the perfect stepping stone for students who wish to continue studying Music Technology into further education.

Year 9

Autumn 1st half term	Introduction to Cubase
Autumn 2nd half term	Music Technology hardware
Spring 1st half term	Creating a piece of music in a particular style
Spring 2nd half term	Mixing project
Summer 1st half term	Health & Safety
Summer 2nd half term	Sound Design Project

Year 10

Autumn 1st half term	Portfolio 1 – Hardware and software
Autumn 2nd half term	Portfolio 2 – practical
Spring 1st half term	Musical genres and elements of music
Spring 2nd half term	Portfolio 2 – practical
Summer 1st half term	Portfolio 2 – practical and exam preparation
Summer 2nd half term	Portfolio 2 – practical and recording skills

Year 11

Autumn 1st half term	Planning for recording
Autumn 2nd half term	Portfolio 3 – practical recording
Spring 1st half term	Mixing skills and sound creation
Spring 2nd half term	Portfolio 4 – Sound creation and exam preparation
Summer 1st half term	Portfolio 4 – Sound creation and exam preparation
Summer 2nd half term	N/A

Year 12

Autumn 1st half term	Recording and Composing
Autumn 2nd half term	Recording and Composing
Spring 1st half term	Advanced mixing and compositional skills
Spring 2nd half term	Advanced mixing practice task and extended composition practise project
Summer 1st half term	Extended recording practice and extended composition practise
Summer 2nd half term	Drum recording skills and explore A Level set briefs