Expressive Arts - 3 Subjects

Drama/Theatre

Dance

Music

Drama is an essential tool for children to communicate, express their emotions/desires and to use their imagination. It is already something that is used widely throughout the school in assemblies and celebrations giving our children the opportunity to be part of physical storytelling and be celebrated by an audience. Drama allows the real world to be accessed through roleplay and explored safely where questions can be asked and answers can be discovered; Roleplay experiences are a key aspect of our Curriculum in order to help build independence in our young people.

Dance is a stimulating, challenging and creative part of Expressive Arts and something that is already covered within our PE curriculum. Dance allows our children to be healthy, improve coordination and balance as well as respond and express themselves through movement. Dance allows our children to explore the potential of their bodies and explore space and time. Dance has the potential to build memory through taught choreography and offers the freedom to create movement without boundaries. Freestyle is also a key aspect of our dance curriculum whereby our young people receive varying levels of teacher led input (such as boundaries, stimulus and space) that enable them to independently express themselves through movement.

Music is an essential part of life at Richmond Hill School and the perfect art form for us to enjoy and share together. Music is used to help frame routines and enhance learning experiences. Music creates a mood and is an integral part of our multi-sensory curriculum. Music enables our children to communicate and express themselves by developing listening skills as well as experience different times and cultures. In addition to this we look for opportunities to develop those with the most potential in this area to learn musical terminology and instrumental skills such as piano playing and percussion. 

Expressive Arts Experiences are delivered within 3 Tiers

Tier 1 - Universal Experiences

Tier 2 - targeted

Tier 3

Every week the children will have the opportunity to experience and explore different art forms and styles from within Drama/Theatre, Dance and Music.
The planning of Expressive Arts lessons will allow all children within all pathways to be guided through a varied range of experiences in Drama, Dance and Music and then be given the opportunity to freely explore the limitless potential of the arts for themselves.
Currently we have 36 different Arts experiences throughout a child’s RHS journey.
Throughout the year the whole school will also come together for three whole school art projects- The Side by Side Art Project, The East Meets West Fest music festival and 1 other event/activity (to be newly created each year). Furthermore we will also work collectively on our Christmas and Ramadan yearly performances as well as our Creativity Matters Competition.
These events will promote a 1 school ethos and encourage sharing and learning together.

We provide opportunities for targeted individuals to achieve their personal goals by joining ability based dance and theatre companies. We will be trialling a beginner, intermediate and advanced dance and theatre company during 2021/22. 

Access 1to1 specialist input from therapists and artists alike. This would be for children from across the pathways and based on needs (sensory, skill based progression, communication etc)

Expressive Arts intended pathway outcomes
Our intended learning outcomes are planned for Roots, Shoots and Leaves children however teaching is differentiated and tailored to the potential of the individual; As such a Roots class child has the potential to experience and achieve leaves outcomes within the Arts - Creativity has no limits

Roots

Shoots

Leaves

Be a happy, emotionally secure individual who experiences life to the fullest in an independent and dignified way. Children have access to a creative environment with a total communication approach so that they can communicate clearly to a broad audience using their preferred mode of communication. Children will have access to a wide range of opportunities within Expressive Arts to develop learning to learn and independence skills. 

Be a happy, emotionally secure individual who can access a wide range of activities with appropriate support.  They will be supported to find a preferred mode of communication to communicate their wants and needs to any adult.  They will be supported to acquire skills to participate and contribute within Expressive Arts with growing independence

Be a happy, emotionally secure individual who has  opportunities to flourish socially and academically.  

Pupils will have the skills to communicate their needs and wants independently. They will be supported to develop their independent learning further and continue to conceptualize their learning through Expressive Arts teaching. Pupils will be provided with opportunities to play an active role and apply their skills to an audience.  

A Roots Expressive Arts pathway will enable the individual to:

...experience and practically explore a range of subjects from across the Expressive Arts (Dance, Theatre, Music, Art).

...use a range of communication systems

...follow instructions and be supported to express needs/make requests.
 

...be given opportunities to be independent

...experience Expressive Arts teaching that is modelled, scaffolded and repetitive in its delivery.
 

...experience Expressive Arts teaching that applies both an Attention skills based and Multi-sensory teaching approach.
 

...develop self-awareness, awareness of others and explore positive relationships. 

...show an awareness of small changes during practical work and express a response to what they are doing (this might be pleasure or displeasure).

 

A Shoots Expressive Arts pathway will enable the individual to…

...practically explore and engage with a range of subjects from across the Expressive Arts (Dance, Theatre, Music, Art)

with varying levels of success and make independent choices with some awareness of purpose.

...engage with their practical work and self-occupy as well as be able to identify and make choices that have a direct impact on their performance based work/ creative outcomes.

...be able to identify and use some basic terminology associated with the discipline or art form being taught.

...discover a preferred form of communication and expression within the Expressive Arts

...develop personal independence skills in order to create and perform with less support.
 

...establish and express personal targets within the Expressive Arts.

...establish a sense of self and a sense of community/ensemble/group.

...discover and explore their sensory needs and preferences within the arts. 

A Leaves Expressive Arts pathway will enable the individual to …

...practically explore and engage with a range of subjects from across the Expressive Arts (Dance, Theatre, Music, Art)

with recognisable success and be able to make independent choices with an awareness of purpose.

...start to create and master their own practical work demonstrating the ability to create and perform with an awareness of the skills being used.
 

...engage fully with the tasks with little additional support.
 

...be able to identify and make choices that have a direct impact on their performance based work/ creative outcomes.

...be able to critique and self-reflect.

...be provided with opportunities to be actively involved in and lead their own creative learning.  
...challenge themselves and actively explore ways of developing their emotional well being, self regulation and coping strategies within the subject.

...access challenging and ambitiously differentiated expectations that will allow the children to perform and create work that demonstrates accomplished skills.  

...be provided with opportunities to work independently and collaboratively within groups.  

...have the opportunity to attend, participate in and apply Expressive Arts skills out of school.  

...to have the opportunity to develop and use independent and personal skills (such as leadership, public speaking, writing) to inform creativity and performance.