Curriculum

Creative Arts: Art, Music, Drama, Media

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Art

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What we are trying to achieve with students

We strive for all students to achieve their personal best and understand that this subject presents the opportunity for all to produce individual, unique, personal responses to a variety of starting points, using a wide range of materials and techniques.

The courses we run

GCE AS and A2 levels:

AS1 & AS2:
Fine art

AS:
Unit 1 – Contextual Study
Unit 2 – Expressive Study
Unit 3 – Externally Set Assignment

A2:
Unit 4 - Thematic Enquiry
Unit 5 - Problem Solving
Unit 6 - Externally Set Assignment

GCSE Art and Design:

Students study two coursework units, in which they are assessed, together with an externally set assignment culminating in a timed test of 10 hours.

GNVQ Art and Design:

This course comprises of 4 units of work and an externally set summative assignment. Successful completion of GNVQ is equivalent to four GCSE grades at A* - C.

Items of particular interest

GCSE A* - C rates are consistently 70% or above, while the uptake for AS and A2 level courses is growing year on year.

At A2 level 86% of our passes were at grade C or higher.

We have made visits to Galleries to see special exhibitions, for example the Tate Gallery, the National Gallery, the Royal Academy, and visits to draw, paint, take photographs, research and collect reference material. Such visits are made to places like Southend.

There is a spectacular annual exhibition to celebrate the achievements of our students in the public examinations.

Music

What we are trying to achieve with students

We are trying to give students the skills to be independent learners through music. Our aim is to give them an understanding and love of music which they will develop throughout their lives.

The courses we run

At both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 our courses include performing, composing, listening to and analysing a range of music in different styles.

Items of particular interest

There are many extra-curricular opportunities, like the wind band, junior band, jazz band and the junior and senior choirs.

Students have opportunities to contribute to major school productions and concerts. For many years our groups have performed in the Chelmsford Festival.

Facilities: The music department comprises two large classrooms equipped with electronic keyboards and percussion. There is a network of fourteen computers with Cubase VST or SX2 software. In addition, there are five air-conditioned practice rooms.

Courses we run:

AS and A2 Music

AS Unit 1 Performing
- Unit 2 Developing musical ideas
- Unit 3 Listening and understanding

A2 Unit 4 Specialist options - recital or composition portfolio.
- Unit 5 Performing and composing
- Unit 6 Analysing music

GCSE Music:

Course content is based around four areas of study, which are:

1. Structure in Western Classical Music 1600 - 1899.
~ Ground bass and variation
~ Ternary form
~ Rondo

2. Changing directions in Western Classical Music from 1900.
~ Expressionism and serialism
~ Minimalism
~ Experimental and electronic music

3. Popular music in context.
~ Dance music 1985 - present day
~ Songs from the musicals
~ Brit Pop and its influences

4. Music from around the World.
~ Indian Raga
~ African Music
~ Fusions

Drama

Drama is a popular subject at Great Baddow and is studied at KS 3, 4 and 5.

At KS3, students follow a curriculum which is designed not only to develop communication skills but also key “people skills” such as empathy and concern for others. The emphasis is on practical work and the students are assessed by their teacher on a termly basis.

There are currently five GCSE groups following the Edexcel GCSE Drama course. Although at this level there is greater emphasis on performance skills, the course is structured in such a way that social skills are still a key element. During the two years of the course the students undertake two six hour workshop units which are assessed by their teacher and a final performance examination.

At Sixth Form level three groups are pursuing the AQA Theatre Studies Course and learn about the influence on theatre of Key practitioners such as Stanislavski and Brecht. They also study Shakespeare, Chekov and more modern dramatists. In both Year 12 and 13, students are assessed via two written papers and a performance examination.

Theatre Visits

Great Baddow students are provided with the opportunity to visit theatres on a regular basis. In the last year the following productions have been visited:

Civic: Theatre Chelmsford September in the Rain and Safari Party Queens theatre Hornchurch: Bouncers Cambridge Arts Theatre: Mother Courage, Lyceum, London: The Lion King Mercury, Colchester: A Midsummer Nights Dream and Miss Julie

Extra Curricular Drama

The GBHS drama department prides itself on its extra curricular work. Any student who is interested in drama is welcome to participate in after school activities.

In the last school year the following productions were performed.
Oliver, Sparkleshark, A Fairytale Heart, and Shut Up (as part of the Shell Connections Drama Festival)

Media

What we are trying to achieve with students

We seek to enable students critically to appraise the media which saturates their lives - films, television, the Press, the Internet and radio. Many people do not question the values and assumptions of the media, but we expect our students to challenge what they are told and to realise that other views are also possible.

The courses we run

At present, we offer Media Studies only in the Sixth Form, at GCE AS and A levels. The course looks at concepts like: audience, institution, language, genre, representation, ideology, values and narrative. Students have to produce a trailer using digital camcorders and professional digital editing software. All students develop their IT skills by using Apple computers throughout the course.

Items of particular interest

Students visit the studios of Anglia Television and take part in the filming of a real 'chat show', seen by two million people. This is followed by a visit to the BBC Television Centre to be conducted on an official backstage tour.