Dance
at Bishop Perowne Church of England College
Intent
In dance, our intent is to let you discover who you are and what you can do. Dance is not just about improving your physical skills, but also your creativity, confidence, communication, and teamwork.
Taught in a professional level dance studio with sprung floor, mirrors and ballet barre, we don’t just learn routines—we learn discipline, teamwork and resilience.
As per the National Curriculum we explore a broad and diverse range of dance styles, from contemporary to street, from jazz to cultural dances from around the world, such as Bollywood and Capoeira.
Each style teaches us something new—not just about movement, but about history, identity, and culture.
Key Stages 3 & 4
We deliver a bespoke spiral curriculum throughout KS3, built around our 3 pillars of learning; Performance, Choreography and Appreciation of Dance. We return to these pillars each year and build on them, allowing for greater depth of knowledge and skill over time.
Through the choreography pillar we have a strong focus on creative work – giving students an opportunity to express themselves through their movement in a safe and supportive environment. We have strong cross-curricular links with PSHE, Art, Computer Science and PE to support and embed learning in those subjects.
Our 3 pillars, Performance, Choreography and Appreciation of Dance also take the curriculum into KS4 for the successful study of our AQA Dance GCSE. We have had many students go on to study Dance at prestigious dance schools across the country and go on to have successful careers in the Dance sector.
Assessment & Lessons
Assessment in Key Stage 3 Dance is done at the end of each topic and plays a vital role in tracking students’ progress, developing their performance skills, and fostering creativity. It typically focuses on the three pillars: performance, choreography, and appreciation.
We assess how well students can replicate and refine movement, create original dance sequences, and evaluate their own and others’ work using appropriate dance terminology.
Assessment is both formative and summative, often involving peer and self-assessment alongside teacher feedback to encourage reflection and improvement. This holistic approach helps students build confidence, express themselves artistically, and prepare for further study in dance at GCSE level.
Enrichment & Co-curricular
We run a number of well-attended extracurricular Dance clubs either at lunchtime or after school, including Cheerleading and Boys Dance club. And we have regular performance opportunities in school for students to showcase their work including Dance evenings, assemblies and sporting events.
Dance is additionally part of the whole school productions and the wider work of the Performing Arts department. Students are offered the opportunity to audition for major school productions that include drama and musical theatre.
Students have also had the opportunity to work with professional choreographers from the West End during production time and visiting Post 16 providers.
