Creative Arts

Creative Arts Department Intent

At Lathom our aims in the Creative Arts department are to ensure that in both key stages all students:

• Develop a love for creativity and personal expression
• Develop a good understanding of the skills and techniques that are used in Art, Music and Drama
• Develop understanding of the Arts, through investigation into Artists and practitioners, performance skills and practical skills
• Are equipped with the appropriate skills, subject vocabulary, knowledge and understanding of Art, Music and Drama to be able to study their chosen subject at a higher level

The Creative Arts Curriculum

• Curricula at both key stages look at the skills and techniques that students will need to be successful at GCSE. The assessment criteria set by our exam board links to all of the work that students study from Year 7 up until the end of Year 11
• In all three subjects students will be taught with a practical approach, learning new skills, techniques and subject specific vocabulary
• Students will be expected to perform on a regular basis in both Music and Drama, which will help to develop with student confidence, musicality and communication skills

In all aspects of teaching across both key stages, learning will be embedded consistently by all teachers using the following pedagogy:

• Provide clear learning objectives and success criteria
• Use activities appropriate for the teaching group
• Provide clear instruction for students
• Clearly model the skills and techniques that students will be learning
• Build in opportunities for students to respond
• Provide meaningful feedback
• Periodically check if students have progressed by using appropriate assessment strategies.

In Art, students are given the skills and techniques that are needed to artistically express themselves, whether this is through drawing, painting, photography or other media. From Year 7 onwards students are taught how to use a variety of media and techniques, how to investigate the work of other artists and crafts people, the historical and cultural significance of art and the impact it has on our society. Students will be equipped with the ability to develop their own ideas and voice their own opinion of their work and the work of others.

Learning in Music is based around singing, composing, improvising and playing. Critical engagement and SMSC threads run throughout the Music curriculum with a particular focus on what music means to us and how it can make us feel. In Key Stage 3, we explore the key skills of performance, composition and listening through various styles, genres and instruments. As students progress, we seek to enrich their love of music through further development of the key skills using a variety of ensemble and solo works. 

Drama at Lathom enables students to develop their understanding of the world, relationships, culture and society. It is a mirror for real life. In Drama, students work collaboratively with others, explore moral and ethical issues and develop a range of skills that help them to communicate with an audience. Through Drama, students learn to become confident individuals, successful learners, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

Key Stage 3

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 receive two 60 minute lessons of Art, one Music and one Drama a fortnight. Homework is set on a termly project basis. Students are taught in mixed ability groups. Progress is tracked and monitored in accordance with agreed procedure. Students complete a baseline assessment on entry in Year 7 and will complete three practical assessment pieces per year.

Key Stage 4

At KS4 we currently offer GCSE Drama, Art and Photography. 

GCSE Drama (Edexcel) comprises of three units of work, creating performances (both devised and scripted), live theatre review and study of a play (chosen by the teacher).

GCSE Art/Photography (AQA) comprises of two units, one unit consists of two projects. One teacher lead project and one independent project, where students will be given free choice to choose their own theme. The second unit is an externally set exam, where students will create a project based on one of seven themes that has been set by the exam board.

Enrichment Opportunities

• Lunchtime Art club
• Crafting club
• Photography club
• Drama club
• Drama productions
• Keyboard club
• Guitar club
• Choir
• Creative Arts London trip
• Theatre trips

How to Support your Child’s Learning

Support your child with homework. Encourage them to enjoy and participate in creative activities at home or in organised groups/clubs outside of school.
Actively take part in creative events close to where you live for example, visiting galleries, attending musical events or festivals or watching a live production of a play or musical. 
Encourage a new hobby like singing, learning to play an instrument, drawing, painting or acting.

Where to go

• Liverpool Tate Museum
• Walker Art Gallery 
• Museum of Liverpool
• Manchester Art Gallery

Music/Drama Performances at: 

• Liverpool Empire
• The Lowry
• Palace Theatre
• Royal Exchange
• Bolton Octagon 

What to watch

• Project Runway – look at the world of fashion, how clothes designs are made from start to finish
• Work of Art: next great artist – a great competition/TV series where people of all ages, gender and ability compete to become the next great artist. Each week the competitors are given a different technique/media or style of art that they need to master
• Ink Master – watch tattoo artists in action, from designing their tattoo based on their clients wishes to creating the finished masterpiece
• The Great British Sewing Bee – another great competitive TV series where people compete against each other to make the best sewn item – from cloths to bedding and everything in between
• Face Off – this competition style programme looks at theatre and film make up, with contestants trying to create the best look. From special effects to theatre and stage makeup, an interesting watch for those who are interested in both Art and Drama.
• The Proms Concert Series – the BBC hold different musical events each year from July to September. These can be viewed on TV, BBC IPlayer and archived footage from previous Proms and events can be viewed on the BBC Proms website.
• The Get Down – a Netflix series about the rise of Hip Hop and Disco in America.
• 20 Feet From Stardom – an Oscar winning film, that looks at the backup singers who support some of the world’s most famous musicians.
• Any TV drama or series – drama is seen in every TV series, drama and film – try to watch a variety of different genres to see how they compare against each other and how they are acted out e.g. romance, horror, thriller, mockumentary etc. 
• National theatre productions (on line) – the national theatre showcase a lot of their productions on their website for free, check out the website and see some live theatre for yourself.

What to read

• We Are Artists by Kari Herbert 
• The Art Book by Phaidon
• Art: The Definitive Visual Guide by Andrew Graham Dixon
• The A-Z Great Modern Artists by Andy Tuohy
• Variety of plays – we recommend: Our Day Out, Blood Brothers, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Crucible, Girls Like That, DNA, A Taste of Honey.
• Music Theory for Dummies by Holly Day and Michael Pilhofer
• Theory and Technic for the Young Beginner by James Bastien
• Rolling Stone magazine

Online

• tate.org.uk  
• moma.org
• louvre.fr/en  
• BBC Bitesize
• brainpop.com/artsandmusic
• classicsforkids.com
• musictheory.net
• knowitall.org
• rsc.org.uk
• ett.org.uk

Future Careers

Curriculum Overview KS3 and KS4 -Creative Arts