Northampton School for Boys
For September 2015
Curriculum Team Leader - Expressive Arts with Drama specialism
Northampton School for Boys is an independent academy for boys aged 11-18, with a mixed
Sixth Form. There are presently 1505 on roll, of which 416 are in the Sixth Form (including
118 girls). The school holds Teaching School status.
Expressive Arts subjects include Dance, Drama, Art, 3D Art and Photography and are taught
by subject specialists. Expressive Arts are a prominent part of the KS4 and 5 Curriculum.
The Team aims to encourage an understanding of the relationships between the art forms as
well as developing subject specific skills.
COURSES
Years 7, 8 & 9 - Groups follow a Key Stage 3 Curriculum Foundation Course, studying
Visual Art (including photography and 3D), Drama and Dance as well as Music. Currently in
Year 9 they choose to study two subjects from Drama, Visual Arts and Music. We are
currently looking at the introduction of Dance in Year 9 and GCSE.
Years 10 & 11 - Pupils specialise at this stage and currently have the option to choose one
Arts subject leading to GCSE accreditation. For Drama, the school follows the Edexcel
Drama syllabus. Drama is a popular option at GCSE where there are currently two groups in
both Year 11 and Year 10 with an average group size of 25.
Years 12 & 13 – Subjects currently on offer are A level Drama, Art and Photography. The
uptake for these subjects is good. Drama is well established and attracts many students who
pursue careers in the Arts. The school follows the Edexcel syllabus offering opportunities to
perform both devised and scripted work; areas in which the students have excelled. Numbers
can fluctuate but at AS over the past two years there has been over 20 students taking the
subject.
STAFFING
From September 2015 the Expressive Arts Team will consist of seven full-time teachers and
three support staff. Each teacher is also expected to be a Form Tutor. In addition to the role
of Team Leader of Expressive Arts the school has a Director of Music who will be
responsible for curriculum and extra-curricular Music. There is also a Learning Leader for
Drama and Dance and another for Visual Arts who are responsible for co-ordinating the
curriculum in their particular subject area.
ACCOMMODATION/RESOURCES
The Expressive Arts Team currently teach in a purpose-built £5m building housing state-ofthe-art facilities:
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A 400 seat theatre with raked seating, balcony and orchestra pit. The theatre is
equipped with the latest visual and audio technology supported by a full-time
technician. It has a Green Room with cueing services, ample extra changing rooms
with shower, and a Box Office. The theatre is flexible, catering for traditional drama
productions, theatre in the round, musicals, concerts, conferences, etc.
The Drama Studio, with battened wooden floor, again has the latest visual and audio
technology and has direct access to the main theatre.
A brand new state of the art dance studio with outstanding facilities housed within the
newly opened Human Performance Centre
Three Fine Art rooms with a south facing elevation. Lighting sensors ensure natural
light conditions are available. All rooms open out to a patio area overlooking green
fields.
A Ceramics room with spray booth, and kiln room housing gas, electric and raku
kilns.
A Photography room consisting of studio area, classroom, dark room and editing suite.
A large atrium used as a social area, exhibition and performance venue.
A Lounge Bar to cater for theatre audiences and other school functions.
The building also provides facilities for other curriculum teams.
These facilities provide a wonderful environment for the Expressive Arts and other subject
areas, further enhancing the arts experience for our students, teachers and the community.
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
The school has an established and well-funded programme of residencies. These range from
regular contributions by professional photographers, ceramists, print-makers, dancers, artists,
musicians, playwrights and theatre groups to in-service support and 'one-off' experiences.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
There is a full programme of events within Expressive Arts. There are Dance, Drama and
Visual Art clubs as well as coursework clinics and examination work undertaken out of hours.
Our performance programme includes a small-scale 6th form production, an experimental
theatre event, a Senior production, a KS3 production, a musical in conjunction with the Music
department and “Junction”, a dance event which brings in various other schools to create a
community event. There is an extensive trip programme including some residential
opportunities and opportunities to enter competitions in Visual Arts. We currently have World
Champions in Street Dance and there is a complex programme of dance competitions for both
street and contemporary dance at local, national and international level and some of these are
overseas. There is a yearly celebration evening where numerous Expressive Arts awards are
given out alongside performances and an Arts exhibition. There is also an Expressive Arts
Competition and a Year 9 Expressive Arts week. In the Visual Arts, students from NSB have
recently won county wide competitions for the quality of their exhibits.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
The school is committed to an extensive in-service, training and development programme. A
structured induction programme is provided for all teachers new to the school. The Expressive
Arts Team uses in-house and external expertise to develop combined Arts courses.
Applicants for this post should:
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Have the ability and skills to manage, contribute to and take forward the teaching and
learning of the Expressive Arts within the school;
Be highly motivated, have good organisational skills and have some responsibility in
their current post;
Be prepared to take an active part in curriculum development;
Be able to deliver Drama from KS3 through to A level;
Be able to monitor students’ progress and development within Drama, Dance and
Visual Arts using our data and reporting systems;
Be able to provide support and direction for the Learning Leaders of Drama and
Visual Arts;
Be willing to lead and co-ordinate Drama productions within the school;
Have the skills and personality to promote and deliver their subject using a range of
teaching skills;
Be committed to raising the profile of the Expressive Arts within and outside the
school;
Be passionate in the role of the Expressive Arts in the curriculum;
Have strong interpersonal skills
The governors actively seek ways in which to attract and retain good teachers. This includes
meals provided prior to Parents’ Evenings; tea/coffee provided free-of-charge in the staffroom at break and lunch-time. Northampton School for Boys is an equal opportunities
employer and the school is a no-smoking environment. The school has a strict uniform policy
with an office dress code for Sixth Form students. It is therefore expected that staff will also
follow the same high standards.
Applications for this post should reach the Headmaster by 9.00 a.m. on Thursday, 12
February 2015 and interviews will be held on Wednesday, 25 February 2015.
R Bernard
Headmaster