The dynamic nature of the expressive arts can engage, motivate and encourage learners to develop their creative, artistic and performance skills to the full.
Equipping learners
Learning and experience in this Area encourages the development of knowledge, skills and values that can help learners grasp opportunities and meet the challenges that arise in their lives.
Whether as creators or as audience, through engaging with the expressive arts, learners can gain an understanding and an appreciation of cultures and societies in Wales and in the world. Such engagement can equip learners with the skills to explore cultural differences through time and place.
Accessible to all learners
This Area wants to make the expressive arts accessible to all learners and, through this inclusive approach, expand the horizons of every learner. Experiencing the expressive arts can engage learners physically, socially and emotionally, nurturing their well-being, self-esteem and resilience. This can help them become healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
Experiencing the expressive arts can also encourage learners to develop not only their ability to appreciate the creative work of other people, but also their own creative talents, artistic skills and performance skills.
Creative expression
The aim is to provide learners with opportunities to explore, refine and communicate ideas while thinking creatively and engaging their imagination and senses.
Through the enjoyment and personal satisfaction they gain from creative expression, learners can become more confident, which can contribute directly to enriching the quality of their lives.
Ysgol y Grango has a structured timetable to deliver lessons in Art and Performing Arts in each of the Years 7, 8 and 9. Performing Arts incorporates elements of drama and music.
Homework
Homework can take a variety of forms including written tasks, revision exercises, online tasks and preparation for coursework or practical examinations. The aim of homework is to supplement the learning that takes place in the classroom and instil independent learning, a crucial lifelong skill. Staff aim to give ample time to complete homework tasks so learners should plan their own time carefully in order to meet deadlines. The frequency of homework can vary depending on the number of lessons offered over a fortnight.
The majority of subject areas make use of Google Classroom to communicate any homework requirements to the learners. I would encourage learners and parents/carers to check Google Classrooms regularly.
Parents/Carers should endeavour to provide a quiet space for their children to complete homework tasks. Where this is not possible, the school does provide such places for learners to access in their lunchtime or afterschool hours. Please encourage learners to discuss this with their tutors or progress leaders in the first instance.
Assessment
Assessment is an important aspect of a learner’s learning journey. Apart from indicating the current performance of an individual, assessments also inform learners and staff which areas they need to develop. At Ysgol y Grango, staff continuously assess a learner’s progress through a variety of methods. This could include informal assessment, such as quizzes or observations, or formal assessments, such as written tests or coursework.
Ysgol y Grango use an online system called Go4Schools to track and monitor individual learners. Learners and parents/carers can also access information such as reports and subject progress through their own Go4schools login.
Throughout Years 7 to 9 there are also opportunities for learners to sit nationally standardised assessments such as CATS, National Reading tests, National Procedural tests and National Reasoning tests, the outcomes of which inform future teaching and learning.