Dance

Gross motor skills are the skills that children develop using their whole body. This forms a vital part of the EYFS curriculum and children at the expected level of development by the end of Reception will be able to negotiate space and obstacles safely, demonstrate balance and coordination while playing and move energetically. In addition to PE lessons, children have the opportunity to develop these skills within the continuous provision in EYFS.

Children explore fundamental movement skills through the PE curriculum, which also encompasses dance. Please see the PE curriculum for further detail.

Children explore fundamental movement skills through the PE curriculum, which also encompasses dance. Please see the PE curriculum for further detail.

The broad and balanced KS3 curriculum at Dunraven ensures all students participate in mixed ability dance lessons throughout years 7, 8 & 9 and requires students to develop knowledge and skills of dance in a variety of genres, styles, cultures and contexts. They develop their kinesthetic and expressive skills through high energy and exciting dance content and support their mental and physical well being.

• Students learn how to create, perform and appreciate dance through both practical elements, self expression and class discussion (oracy), working with others to problem solve, communicate and form a community.

• Students expand on their cultural capital through the exposure to a variety of culturally diverse dance genres, cultures and contexts both through practical participation and watching and discussing professional dance works

• Students are facilitated to not only learn compose and perform, but to understand the origins of dance works and styles and explore the importance of the arts to generate challenging conversations and their links to society, historically through to modern day

• In Year 7 students begin with the fundamentals of dance, exploring Action (What), Space (Where) and Dynamics (How) through a variety of topics. Students learn, through Gumboot Dance, Chain Reactions, and Greased Lightning units, how to recreate movement accurately in performance, create their own movement based on a stimulus, and work with others. They also develop understanding of the origins of dance styles, their context in society in history and how their learning has cross curricular links to other subjects. 

• In Year 8 students are encouraged to make links to prior learning, building on the skills in Year 7. Through Line Dancing, Urban Playground (Banksy) and Some Like it Hip Hop units students challenge their physicality and creativity, whilst increasing their understanding about how dance and the arts can challenge perceptions, raise awareness of social, political and cultural issues, standing as a platform for change, 

• In Year 9 students gather all the skills learnt throughout KS3 and begin preparations for KS4. Through Streetdance, Bollywood and Swansong units, students continue to develop accuracy and confidence in performance and expressive skills (with characterisation) in challenging dance content. Notably performing exciting and challenging lifts, developing trust and communication skills in contact dancework 'Swansong’. 

• All students have the opportunity to attend dance clubs, with 10 clubs per week in a range of styles and each age group from year 7 has their own club, with a range of styles, including tap, ballet, streetdance and K POP

• The curriculum not only links to works studied at KS4, but all AOs provide a link to assessment criteria at KS4 and the skills and knowledge developed provides exceptional foundation for success at KS4.

• All of these are sought after skills and support students in their next steps in Dance at and other subjects

The GCSE Dance curriculum builds upon the learning and knowledge developed at KS3 and students continue to engage in learning, creating and appreciating dance through the curriculum and enrichment activities. The course requires students to develop, demonstrate and articulate practical and theoretical knowledge, understanding and experience of:

• technical and performance skills

• the process and art of choreography

• the interrelationship between the creation, presentation and viewing/appreciation of dance works

• the development of dance placed within an artistic and cultural context

• professional dance works and the significance of these works

• subject specific terminology and its use

• GCSE Dance is a dynamic qualification which encourages students to develop their creative and intellectual capacity, alongside transferable skills such as team working, communication and problem solving. 

• Knowledge, understanding and skills are developed and demonstrated within performance, choreography and critical engagement with the study of professional repertoire located within specific areas of study.

• Students are encouraged to take part in, support and lead extra curricular opportunities within Dunraven Dance. Developing leadership, communication, planning and teaching skills. With many opportunities to develop performance skills in shows throughout the period of study. 

• Regular visits to theaters to watch Professional dance works.

• Professional workshops with companies to develop understanding of dance works studied at KS3-KS5, including Rambert Dance Company, ZooNation, RAD and Matthew Bourne. 

• GCSE dance reflects both historical and current dance practices, making it more relevant, and inspires a lifelong passion and appreciation for dance.

• All of these are sought after skills by further education opportunities and support students in their next steps in Dance at KS5 and other subjects

The A-level Dance curriculum builds upon the learning and knowledge developed at KS4 and students continue to engage in learning, creating and appreciating dance through the curriculum and enrichment activities. The course requires students to develop, demonstrate and articulate practical and theoretical knowledge, understanding and experience of:

• technical and performance skills

• the process and art of choreography

• the interrelationship between the creation, presentation and viewing/appreciation of dance works

• the development of dance placed within an artistic and cultural context

• professional dance works and the significance of these works

• subject specific terminology and its use

• A-level Dance is a dynamic qualification which encourages students to develop their creative and intellectual capacity, alongside transferable skills such as team working, communication and problem solving. 

• Knowledge, understanding and skills are developed and demonstrated within performance, choreography and critical engagement with the study of professional repertoire located within specific areas of study.

• Students are encouraged to take part in, support and lead extra curricular opportunities within Dunraven Dance. Developing leadership, communication, planning and teaching skills. With many opportunities to develop performance skills in shows throughout the period of study. 

• Regular visits to theatres to watch Professional dance works.

• Professional workshops with companies to develop understanding of dance works studied at KS3-KS5, including Rambert Dance Company, ZooNation, RAD and Matthew Bourne. 

• A level dance reflects both historical and current dance practices, making it more relevant, and inspires a lifelong passion and appreciation for dance.

• All of these are sought after skills by higher education and employers and will help them stand out in the workplace whatever their choice of career.

All Though Curriculum Map
Secondary Curriculum Map 
Year 7 Curriculum Year Map
Year 8 Curriculum Year Map
Year 9 Curriculum Year Map
Year 10 Curriculum Year Map
Year 11 Curriculum Year Map
Year 12 Curriculum Year Map
Year 13 Curriculum Year Map

As in all areas of the curriculum, teachers should deliver ‘quality-first’ teaching and adapt lessons to support children with barriers to learning. On an individual basis, teachers should consider any limitations that a child has in accessing the planned lesson and provide: Adapted tasks and correct adult support Lesson broken down into chunks to support working memory Oral communication, as mentioned above, is the basis of promoting speaking and listening. This is incorporated into the lessons daily, to give all children the ability to express their thoughts. Where necessary, physical content adapted to allow all students to access dance Visual cues are incorporated into each lesson, to create a link between prior learning and the task set. Regular opportunities to reuse/recap key concepts and vocabulary.

We have rigorous and regular assessment systems which are used to inform planning. We are conscious of workload and based on evidence our feedback policy is primarily based on in the moment feedback, live marking and whole class feedback.

Assessment includes:

• Termly data drops
• Pupil progress meetings
• Live feedback
• Group intervention
• End of unit assessments
• Editing work, peer assessing and student response
• Regular use of video footage of assessments and classwork to support progress
• Regular moderation
• Quality Assurance
• We triangulate evidence across the school through book looks, learning walks, data analysis, pupil voice, pupil progress meetings and moderation.

Regular staff CPD, which is informed by our Excellence Plan and pupil need.

Regular meetings with the Creative Arts leaders and staff to support subject knowledge, development and planning.