Staff list

• Miss N Killick – Head of Creative Arts Faculty
• Mr P Cummins – Subject Leader for Music

Intent

In Music at Cox Green School, we aim to instil a love for music in all pupils and support them to achieve their very best potential as musicians, to allow them pursue music in whichever way they desire in the future.

With all teaching we do, we follow closely the school’s ethos, instilling a passion for learning, diligence and enjoyment, beginning at Key Stage 3. We believe this is best implemented by providing a curriculum for pupils in which they have the freedom to be creative. Pupils are stretched and challenged in lessons to demonstrate understanding through performance, compositions and evaluation of music to help them achieve this potential.

The KS3 curriculum is focussed around developing key fundamental skills in music (music theory/keyboard skills) whilst also building on any previous on any abilities pupils may have learnt prior to joining the school. Pupils are encouraged to be mindful of the abilities of their classmates and to take ownership of their own learning from the outset. Developing confidence as a performer is a hill every musician must climb, which is why we seek to perform music as regularly as possible, both individually and as an ensemble and encourage students to become active listeners and provide positive and constructive feedback.

We believe that a better understanding of global music is to gain a broader social consciousness of culture around the world. We develop our students understanding of the different cultural contexts in which music exists, developing knowledge of influences and traditions from across the globe, as well as their historical context. By listening to a broad range of musical styles, pupils are encouraged to forge opinions and observations, justifying their reasoning whilst implementing key vocabulary into their everyday speech.

Our department offers an inclusive extra-curricular programme to offer opportunities to a wide range of ensembles for students of differing ability, allowing them to collaborate with other musicians and thus develop their performance skills, understanding and love of the subject. The department offers individual instrumental lessons to all students in the school, with purpose to develop technical proficiency and progress through grades with recognised exam boards such as ABRSM & Trinity. All students involved with ensembles at Cox Green are given regular opportunities to perform in school or to the public, whether as part of an ensemble or solo. Where possible, the department also offers enrichment opportunities such as theatre trips, classical concerts and museums to support and enhance learning done in the classroom.

Implementation

The music curriculum ensures that all students cover the key areas of composition, performance & appraisal at all levels. By building on these three key skills, there is facility for pupils to maximise their potential across all key stages in the subject.

We continually review our schemes of work to ensure there is sufficient access for all students to progress, regardless of background, ability or additional needs. We nurture the talent of those who display a gift for music and encourage higher thinking and further reading to accelerate their learning at all levels.

Our curriculum seeks to ensure that all pupils have the necessary skills in order to pursue music through to KS4 & KS5. We teach more traditional composition skills from the beginning of KS3, so that the composition requirements of the GCSE curriculum are more readily accessible. This also helps to develop an understanding of the Western Classical Tradition to support theory, which naturally lends itself to advancing through to higher levels of musical practice. Pupils are made aware of the trajectory and purpose of their learning, and how their lessons are interlinked, never seeing a single lesson as isolated.

Teaching and learning in the department is strong and can be evidenced through positive internal learning walks and sharing best practice through observation.

We strive to find a balance between imparting the skills necessary to succeed academically, but also to develop pupils into a well-rounded individual, with awareness of the importance of music in society.

Impact

Music is a subject where success can be measured in many ways. Academic success in the subject is achieved through a balance of formative and summative assessment, with regular reflection by pupils to understand key areas for improvement. Peer assessment also takes an important role in developing critical thinking skills.

Our extra-curricular program sees pupils give back to the school and builds a strong sense of comradery between pupils of different year groups. Cox Green prides itself on having a broad array on enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom, all which engage pupils to deliver to a high standard. We are committed to increasing engagement with ensembles at the school and deliver regular concerts to provide a platform for pupils to display their talents.

By offering a broad curriculum, we allow our students to discover new genres and styles, but also find areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. Pupils should leave Cox Green with the sufficient knowledge to both access and appreciate music in its broad array of forms; whether they are to play in a classical concert or watch a ballet, or want to start producing electronic music or attend a rock concert.

We believe that the shared enjoyment of music between students and staff which drives the department’s success.

Peripatetic lesson information & application form

Staff list

• Mr S Brignull – Learning Leader for Drama
• Miss L Piggott- Teacher of Drama - Pupil Premium and Attendance Lead - Head of Year 7

Vision

The Drama department at Cox Green believes that pupils should be given the opportunity to use drama to express and articulate their thoughts and feelings and explore issues beyond their own experience.

Intent

For pupils to gain knowledge and skills associated with drama and theatre. Pupils will develop their interpersonal skills, empathy and confidence in a supportive environment where they can explore a range of topics.

Implementation

At KS3 pupils study an hour of drama once a fortnight. Pupils will have the opportunity to devise original drama and work with script as well as experimenting with a variety of genres and styles. They will also be given the opportunity to approach a task from different perspectives, such as, writer, director and performer.

At KS4 the Eduqas course is followed, and pupils are expected to apply knowledge and understanding when making exploring and responding to drama.

GCSE Specification Template (eduqas.co.uk)

At KS5 pupils study AQA A-level Theatre Studies and will further develop their knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre

AQA | A-level | Drama and Theatre | Specification at a glance

Impact

Pupils will have the opportunity to continue working within the world of theatre. Pupils will be able to use creative thinking and confidence. Also, to create young people who are empathetic and can use the skills learnt in drama to face the challenges of the wider world.

Staff list

• Mr D Dickins – Learning Leader Computer Science
• Miss S Hughes - Assistant Headteacher & Computer Science Teacher

Vision

In Computer Science at Key Stage 3, we help students to understand the risks involved with online communication, we seek to ensure that they have the skillset to become confident individuals with an in-depth knowledge of computing and problem solving skills. We aim to support students in developing their understanding of applications and how they are safely deployed. We help our students to develop insight into the the process of how to solve problems.

At Key Stage 4, we work with the students to ensure that they have an excellent understanding about what the components of a computer system are and how they slot together to create modern systems. We help our students to learn how to program using high level languages and to create algorithms that solve problems effectively and efficiently.

At Key Stage 5, we build on the knowledge gained at Key Stage 4 to help our students gain an in-depth understanding of all computer components and how these components fit into differing and competing architectures. We work with them to ensur ethat they continue to develop their high level programming skills to create solutions to ever more complicated problems.

Intent

Computer Science is a modern and a rapidly growing subject in terms of technicality and implications. The study of Computing enlightens students’ curiosity about how the vast number of computers function alone, how they work together and how they interlink. As a result, the Computer Science curriculum aims to, firstly, embed technical understanding of Computing hardware and software to students across all key stages. Secondly, the curriculum aims to raise insight by equipping students with skills and competencies in an effort to heighten their chances of employability in the digital world.

Implementation

The curriculum is delivered in a computing suite with over 30 desktop computers and internet access, should students require further research and analysis. Learning occurs the moment students enter the classroom, as they are faced with a ‘Do-Now’ task, think-pair-share scenarios, teacher-led questioning along with worksheets covering the topic for a specific lesson. In an effort to ensure all students make sufficient progress the curriculum is also differentiated through questioning, outcome and worksheets. The curriculum is also implemented outside the classroom through home learning. Home learning is set once every fortnight for KS3 students and once per week for GCSE students in an effort to consolidate and extend students’ knowledge. As Computing combines theory and application methods, students are not only taught technical knowledge, but rather problem solving techniques, research and analytical skills which will assist students with a number of other subjects and real world applications.

Impact

The curriculum has a significant impact on students understanding as to how the individual components of a computer function, how they are all linked together to build firstly a single computer system and then how these systems are linked together to form a network. Students learn algorithmic thinking, how to decompose a problem, how to remove layers of abstraction and finally how to create algorithms as solutions to problems. When students leave Cox Green School, they should have cultivated a number of ideas and skills such as:

• Creating and editing Image and spreadsheet files.
• Have an understanding of programming by either reading or writing them.
• Knowledge about the dynamics of machines and their inner functioning.
• Ability to think computationally and use problem solving techniques.
• To think analytically about the future of Computing and its broader implications.