Art

In Art and Design, year 10 students are required to complete the ‘Natural Forms’ coursework project.  Coursework projects are worth 60% of the final mark at GCSE level. In coursework projects, students will begin to explore their theme, making studies from observation and experimenting with different media. Some of the assignments they will have during this time will encourage an experimental approach to develop confidence in their ability to record directly from the real world as well as building technical skills. At home, parents can support through encouraging them to look carefully at the subject matter they are recording and supportively suggest ways of improving.  After completing their studies, students are encouraged to reflect on what they have achieved and how this relates to their theme. An important part of Art and Design at this level is learning from the work of other relevant artists, designers and creative practitioners and this work is worth 25% of their coursework mark. After making visual connections to the work of other artists, students are encouraged to develop their work through exploring the potential of different combinations of media and materials working towards a three dimensional final outcome. This final work is created using clay.

Drama/Performing Arts

During the autumn term, year 10 students will be building up skills focusing on WJEC Drama Unit 1: Devising. They will look at the work of practitioners such as Stanislavski and Brecht and consider how their ideas affect the style of performance. They will also look at the genre of TIE (Theatre in Education) as a starting point for an assessed, devised piece of work. The students will be expected to demonstrate that they can work collaboratively and independently both in terms of their practical work and written work. It is important that students attend lessons and rehearsals wherever possible as absences can affect group work. This unit of work is 40% of the overall GCSE qualification and for their final assessed piece, later in Year 10, they will be expected to participate in the creation, development and performance of a piece of devised theatre in response to a stimulus set by WJEC. They will complete a written evaluation of the devised performance under formal supervision. They will be assessed on either acting or design and work in groups of between two and five performers with up to four additional students, each working on a different design skill, within each performing group. Support will be given in Google Classroom to ensure that students have access to materials that they require to be successful and will be accessible in parental reports.

Photography

In Photography, year 10 students are initially taught about how photography developed. They consider a range of questions.  How do different cameras function? Including the different features of cameras. How do I take good quality photographic images using a DSLR camera? How do I explore the work of relevant photographers? After having a secure grounding in the development of the required photographic skills, students then begin their first taught coursework unit. In this unit, they will be taught how to record using the camera and reflect on their practice to become even better photographers. At home, it is beneficial to encourage them to go out with a camera and take shots and question why they have chosen to take the photograph in the way they have.   This can be done with a digital phone camera. Depending on the theme they have chosen, sometimes students will need support to get to different places if they need to photograph a particular scene or location. To enhance their own photography in school, students will then explore the work of relevant photographers from the past as well as contemporary examples. After gathering their information, students will then use digitally manipulation apps to creatively enhance and develop their images. As well as this, they will show further creativity through manual editing skills working towards a final outcome(s).

Music

Students are supported by peripatetic staff to ensure that they are happy with their chosen instrument / voice and begin working towards the practical requirement of the course. For singers, this may involve backing tracks which is fully acceptable. Initial composing work begins using small melodic cells on an instrument of the student's choice. This may be a virtual instrument e.g. a sampled sound on Soundtrap. Work commences on Music Theory training and for those who are not confident with music notation, extra support is made available.

 

Art

In Art and Design, year 10 pupils will develop their ‘Natural Forms’ coursework project completing this before Easter. This project will contribute around 30% of the final mark at GCSE level. Last term, pupils explored this theme by making studies from observation and experimenting with different media. Some of the assignments they will have done encourage an experimental approach to develop confidence in their ability to record directly from the real world as well as building technical skills. After completing their studies in this spring  term, pupils are encouraged to reflect on what they have achieved and how this relates to their theme and develop their ideas towards final outcomes. The pupils' creative work will continue to be underpinned by an understanding of the work of other relevant artists, designers and creative practitioners. After making visual connections to the work of other artists, pupils are encouraged to develop their work through exploring the potential of different combinations of media and materials working towards a three dimensional final outcome. This final work is created using clay.

Drama

In Year 10 Drama, the students will focus on the Unit 1 element from the GCSE course - devised work.  They will explore the theatre genres/ styles of Physical Theatre and Theatre in Education.  Look at both naturalistic and non-naturalistic styles of performance and the work of theatre practitioners such as Stanislavski and Brecht.  As a means of supporting their devised production and the development of their performance skills they will look at the construction of scripted plays.  When in school, they will have the opportunity to develop their technical skills concentrating on using lighting to enhance performance.  Lessons will be delivered through blended activity (including practical exercises) through Google Classroom. 

Photography

In Photography, year 10 pupils will begin their ‘Distortion’ coursework project which will run for the duration of this term. This project will contribute around 30% of the final mark at GCSE level. In this coursework project, pupils will begin to explore their theme using and developing the photographic recording skills they acquired in the autumn term. In Photography, we will encourage an experimental approach to develop confidence in pupils' ability to record directly from the real world as well as building technical skills. After completing their recording, pupils are encouraged to reflect on what they have achieved and how this relates to their theme. An important part of Photography at this level is learning from the work of other relevant photographers and creative practitioners and this work is worth 25% of the coursework mark. After making visual connections to the work of other photographic practitioners, pupils are encouraged to develop their work through exploring the potential of their creative ideas using both digital and manual editing techniques working towards either two or three dimensional final outcomes.

Music

Students will begin to consolidate initial melodic ideas and accompanying chord sequences in their Free Compositions. They are encouraged to consider using established musical structures such as Binary, Ternary or ‘Theme & Variations’ forms. Candidates use Music department rubrics in order to meet the various musical requirements of the composition folio set out by the WJEC. Some lessons are allocated as specific appraising lessons where they learn the techniques required to respond effectively to the question in the exam paper sat at the end of Year 11. Knowledge/subject-specific vocabulary is accumulated over time. All pupils’ attendance at practical lessons (singing or an instrument, or both) is monitored closely in order to ensure progression in this area.

Music

Students will continue to develop ideas and chord progressions in their Free Compositions.They are encouraged to add details such as dynamics and articulation once the basic outline of their music has been established. By now, established musical structures such as Binary, Ternary or ‘Theme & Variations’ forms should be recognisable within their music. Candidates continue to use Music department rubrics in order to meet the various musical requirements of the composition folio set out by the WJEC. Some lessons are allocated as specific appraising lessons where they learn the techniques required to respond effectively to the question in the exam paper sat at the end of Year 11. Knowledge/subject-specific vocabulary is accumulated over time. All pupils’ attendance at practical lessons (singing or an instrument, or both) is monitored closely in order to ensure progression in this area.

Drama

In the summer term, the students will focus on the Unit 3 element from the GCSE course where they will explore a script in depth.  They will look at Two Faces (Manon Steffan Ros), considering the themes and ideas presented in the play along with potential staging decisions such as costume, makeup, lighting, sound, set and visual effects.  They will also consider how this script could be adapted to make it a suitable TIE (Theatre in Education) performance for a younger secondary school audience and will prepare for such a performance.

Whilst exploring this play, they will continue to build on their performance and production skills, working to their strengths within their groups. Line learning skills and group cooperation are essential in this term. 

Art and Design

In Art and Design, year 10 learners will conclude their first coursework project titled  ‘Distortion’ by the half term. This project will contribute around 30% of the final mark at GCSE level. After the half term, learners will then begin their second coursework unit which will be personally selected from past themes set previously by the WJEC exam board. In this second coursework project, learners will begin to explore their personally chosen theme using and developing the recording skills they acquired in their last project. It is vital that when choosing their theme, learners consider how they are going to access their subject matter to make high quality recording drawing items which will meaningfully sustain their personal work. Some of the assignments they will have previously done encourage an experimental approach to develop confidence in their ability to record directly from the real world as well as building technical skills. After completing their studies in this summer term, learners are encouraged to reflect on what they have achieved and how this relates to their personal theme and develop their ideas towards final outcomes. The learners' creative work will continue to be underpinned by an understanding of the work of other relevant artists, designers and creative practitioners which they will select themselves with guidance from their art teacher. After making visual connections to the work of other artists, learners are encouraged to develop their work through exploring the potential of different combinations of media and materials working towards a two dimensional final outcome in the autumn term of year 11. This final work is created using media, processes and techniques which learners have discovered will best show their creative intentions.

Photography

In Photography, year 10 learners will conclude their first coursework project titled  ‘Distortion’ by the half term. This project will contribute around 30% of the final mark at GCSE level. After the half term, learners will then begin their second coursework unit which will be personally selected from past themes set previously by the WJEC exam board. In this second coursework project, learners will begin to explore their personally chosen theme using and developing the photographic recording skills they acquired in their last project. It is vital that when choosing their theme, learners consider how they are going to access their subject matter to make high quality recording which will meaningfully sustain their personal work.  In Photography, we will encourage an experimental approach to develop confidence in learners' ability to record directly from the real world as well as building technical skills. After completing their recording, pupils are encouraged to reflect on what they have achieved and how this relates to their theme. An important part of Photography at this level is learning from the work of other relevant photographers and creative practitioners and this work is worth 25% of the coursework mark. After making visual connections to the work of other photographic practitioners, pupils are encouraged to develop their work through exploring the potential of their creative ideas using both digital and manual editing techniques working towards either two or three dimensional final outcomes which will be resolved in the autumn term of year 11.