The Performing Arts Department at the Ellen Wilkinson School
Introduction
Music is part of the Performing Arts Department in the school, alongside
Drama. Both subject areas are held in high regard within the school and have
been reported upon very positively in school Ofsted reports.
It is currently led by a Head of Performing Arts, a drama specialist, and the
department aims to provide a Drama and Music education for all pupils that
will challenge them both physically and mentally, encouraging and developing
physical and perceptual skills. The department aims to promote, foster and
encourage pupils’ understanding and participation in Music and Drama.
Staffing
There are two full time music teachers, two full time drama teachers and a
part-time drama teacher who also teaches other subjects within the
curriculum.
Facilities and Resources
The department is lucky enough to have moved into a new purpose built
building in September 2008, fully equipped with 2 drama studios, 2 large
music rooms, 5 practice rooms and 1 other observational classroom. In
addition, the Performing Arts Department also makes full use of the hall for
rehearsals, some drama lessons and whole school productions, and the
converted gym to teach dance.
One of the large music rooms is equipped with 14 Imacs running ‘Garage
Band’, ‘Logic’ and ‘Sibelius’ software. There is also a fully equipped recording
studio within this room.
The department is also equipped with a selection of percussion, including
African drums and samba drums, and a set of xylophones. We also have 2 full
class sets of keyboards and numerous text book resources and choral and
orchestral scores.
We currently have 9 peripatetic teachers and offer lessons on violin, cello,
guitar, singing, flute, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, all brass instruments and
piano.
Curriculum
Music is taught once a week to all pupils in yrs 7 and 8 in form groups. Music
is also offered at GCSE (our KS4 programme starts in Year 9) and ‘A’ level.
At GCSE we teach Edexcel specification and at A Level we follow the OCR
Syllabus.
We currently offer A’ level music technology but it is likely that Music will be
the A Level choice in September 2013. All music schemes of work are both
exciting and challenging and are mapped with ICT, Literacy, Numeracy,
Cross-Curricular and PLTS outcomes. The Key Stage 3 curriculum includes a
range of topics from samba drumming to Music and Image, enabling students
to develop performing, composing and listening skills and to study music from
a range of cultures and traditions. All Key Stage 3 music lessons begin with a
practical warm up and are planned according to the National Strategy for
Music.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The Performing Arts department stages two productions a year: a music
concert at Christmas, and a whole school musical in June, all of which have
been praised by the Governors, local schools and local papers, as truly
professional productions, ‘not so far off the West End’.
Previous productions include ‘The Boyfriend’, ‘Bugsy Malone’, ‘The Wiz’,
‘Wind in the Willows’, ‘What’s in a Musical’, ‘Guys and Dolls’, ‘Honk’ and, in
June 2012, our most ambitious production to date: ‘Les Miserables’. The
department are also used to writing their own musicals and one such
production was staged both at school and a local theatre in 2007, entitled
“Day and Night”. This year the department are staging ‘Coram Boy’ with
performers from Year 7 through to Year 13.
There are two school choirs and a school orchestra, a rock band, a KS3
Drama Club and an assembly club. The Performing Arts department also
contributes to various special assemblies throughout the year and to the
Celebration of Achievement evenings.
The department run various theatre and musical trips, some have included – a
GCSE Music Conference, a trip to the Royal Festival Hall, a two-day trip to
‘The Les Miz Experience’ and the ‘Chicago Experience’. The Department also
organises visits abroad, to Prague in 2007 and Venice in 2008; we also took
the choir and jazz band on tour to Belgium, performing in several local
venues.
The department has strong links with the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, the
Greenwich Theatre Project and work tirelessly with the school’s feeder
primaries. The department also invite a number of visiting professionals into
the school to lead workshops. The Music department have entered the ‘Music
for Youth’ festival, performing at Morley College in Lambeth as well as taking
part in Ealing Music Festivals.
A good place to work
All staff in the Performing Arts department work as a team and are well
supported. The atmosphere is always buzzing with new ideas and exciting
projects in the pipeline. The pupils respect our ordered and innovative
teaching styles and gain experience and commitment from us as role models.
It’s a very exciting department to work in.
Visit the school website to find out more about the department:
www.ellenwilkinson.ealing.sch.uk
Rachael Vanstone
Head of Performing Arts