Arts Box: Key Stage 3
At King Edward’s, we recognise the value in celebrating the diverse ways in which young people engage with the arts. The Arts Award qualification offered by the Arts Council supports this, and we have structured our ArtsBox course around its core principles of celebrating participation, sharing and openness to new experiences. ArtsBox and the Arts Award also encourage the values of independent learning and leadership, as well as giving us a platform to explore career options within the arts sector.
Students in Years 7 and 8 will take part in a nine-week Arts enrichment programme called ArtsBox. Through ArtsBox, students will be able to explore Art, Dance, Drama and Music in more depth, focusing on how the discrete disciplines can work together on a shared theme in Year 7, and looking at more specialist advanced skills in Year 8. Students in both years will be able to work towards an Arts Award at Bronze level, with progression routes available to Silver and Gold level.
ArtsBox Objectives:
Art Form Knowledge and Understanding
- To offer a broad and diverse range of arts skills and experiences through engaging activities
Creativity
- To encourage cross-curricular thinking within the Arts and beyond
- To offer students personalised and practical ways of evidencing their engagement and progress
Communication
- To develop arts leadership and independent learning
- To encourage critical engagement with the arts and sharing of opinions
To achieve Arts Award Bronze for all Year 7 students, with progression routes to Arts Award Silver and Gold
Course Outline
ArtsBox will be delivered as a cross-curricular arts programme for students in Years 7 and 8.
In Year 7, students will follow a scheme of learning called ‘Total Arts’ aimed at offering students creative ways to approach a project across the breadth of arts provision at King Edward VI School. They will work on the theme of ‘Matilda’, evidencing their work in the ArtsBox portfolio. Practical experiences in lessons will be recorded in the Poerfolio for homework to provide important evidence for the Arts Award, and there will be independent learning tasks to be completed form homework as well in order to achieve the award within the nine-week programme.
Students in Year 8 will follow a scheme of learning called ‘Arts Advanced’ aimed at extending and broadening skills in each of the arts subjects. In Year 8, students will also have the option either to continue to gather evidence towards Arts Award Bronze, or to work towards Arts Award Silver.
