Expressive Arts

The Village School Expressive Arts Curriculum Overview
A big emphasis is placed on the Expressive Arts at The Village School as it is an
area in which our pupils over time have achieved very successful outcomes, both
in terms of formal qualifications and also with regards to self-esteem,
communication, behaviour, independence and developing self-expression.

At The Village, we take the view that ALL children can enjoy and achieve in the
arts and that all children should have equal access to arts opportunities no matter
what their style of learning or baseline assessment may be.

We have high expectations of success and frequently see children exceeding expectations. We teach the arts so that our pupils can become skilled practitioners in art, music, drama and dance. We also recognise that through this teaching other
transferable skills are gained, such as social interaction, communication and the
ability to behave appropriately and learn independently.

The arts subjects are linked to other learning in the school through following the whole school curriculum theme-based learning for each term.

Provision
Every pupil at The Village has music and art lessons throughout the year taught
by a specialist. Throughout their time at school they also have access to drama
and dance lessons with a specialist for a period of time.
Lessons, which include off-site learning at galleries and concert halls as well as
in our linked mainstream schools, culminate in performances and exhibitions
both in and out of school so that children have the experience of sharing their
achievements with others in and beyond the community.
Arts lessons follow the Stepping Stones, Tracks and Lanes pathways for
personalised learning. Themes are adapted to work in multi-sensory ways with
children on the Stepping Stones pathway. Lessons are differentiated to embed
progress, inclusion and entitlement for all. 
Assessment, recording and Accreditations
The Village School is dedicated to monitoring the impact of our arts provision. We
do this by offering a vast array of accreditations in the arts as well as having
strong assessment and recording procedures in place.

  • Sounds of Intent moderated assessments
  • Arts Awards at Discover, Explore and Bronze Levels.
  • AQA Unit Awards
  • Entry Level Certificates.
  • G.C.S.E.
  • Involvement in Pilot Projects for Marks of Intent, Movements of Intent and
  • Sounds of Intent Accreditation.

Progression
As pupils progress through the Key Stages, age appropriate learning is ensured
and progression maintained through the schemes of work. For example, Village 1
children follow early Years and Foundation Stage principles with exploratory
learning through play and games and in Key Stage 5 there is formal accreditation
linked to outside partnerships with organisations which can provide future work
and leisure opportunities.


Communication/Accessibility
All teachers of the arts liaise routinely with the multi-disciplinary team of
professionals at The Village School and visiting arts professionals are advised of
our range of communication systems. In addition to this the arts themselves, at
the Village School, have been shown to provide a vehicle for communication and
self-expression at the deepest level. There is also joint working with the
Occupational Therapists and the Positive Behaviour Inclusion team to ensure
safety, progress and inclusion in all arts lessons.


Partnerships for improvement
The arts curriculum at The Village School is enriched by its links and partnerships
with a big variety of the learning departments of galleries, concert halls and
theatre groups as well as through our arts links in our two linked mainstream
schools. Research into improving curriculum planning and assessment methods
is ongoing through a partnership with Roehampton University. 

Live Music Now Partnership

Live Music Now (LMN) collaborated with Media Trust and filmmaker Tyro Heath to capture the importance of music to children with additional learning needs.

The result is a moving insight into the positive effects of music. The featured project took place at The Village School in Brent and is part of LMN’s Inspire programme – providing enriching and inclusive music provision in special schools, led by professional musicians from Live Music Now.