Questions relevant to my practise continued

Back in task 4a, I was set the task to develop some questions to put to a colleague or co-worker that focused on my relevance to practise. I took my two professional practise areas and decided to set them both questions and compare them at the end.

My first field of study being St Peters School and the head of dance Mrs Robinson was kindly able to respond to my following questions;

1)  Do you believe the syllabus provides the students with a broad enough knowledge on the subject, or is there restriction to their learning?

Although I think the GCSE is a good starting point it does not prepare the students fully for the demands of A level anymore eg there is no anatomy at GCSE and the longest question is 10 marks on the written paper as opposed to 20 marks at AS. It is also a struggle to teach if they do not have access to dance at KS3 which is the case at St Peters as you have to start from scratch instead of topping up their knowledge. That said it is still a good syllabus but it is changing next year and it will be a 60:40 spilt on practical theory instead of the current 80:20 and I know students will struggle with this.

2) Do you find it difficult to engage enthusiasm from particular students who have picked dance as an 'easy subject' - does this cause frustration as a teacher?

This has happened less so over the years - in 2000 when St Peters was an Arts College students as you know had to choose an Art form to study. dance was then perceived as the easier option and classes were very divided when it came to ability and attitude to learning. There were students who had done a lot of dance to those who had never danced before! Current classes are much better balanced and we have option evenings to get across the message that dance is not easy and that the grade boundries for dance are very high 96% on the written paper at GCSE for an A* 64% for a C.

3) Over time has there been a significant change in the way Dance is perceived as a subject? If so how and what support is needed from other departments within the school.

Although as a subject we perform well in terms of statistics, I'm sure other subject areas have no idea what we do! Rock challenge raises our profile and numbers on courses are steady but when I started dance was within PE at KS3 now its not and this is bound to have an impact on GCSE numbers. One Deputy Head told a potential A level student that because she danced so much out of school she didn't need to do A level Dance!

 4) In comparison to other subjects, how do you think students engage in dance as apposed to maths or science? Is there a strategy to help them express themselves into the art?

For some students Dance is their best subject! I have one student who is predicted D's for Maths and English but a B for dance she struggles with the written aspect of the course but practically shes great. I think if they enjoy the subject and are taught well (?) then no matter what their ability is they will be given the opportunity to do well and they will engage with the tasks - some find the choreography difficult so we spent time looking at how to take risks with the choreography and enjoy creating. It is all about their experience of teaching and learning.

5) What issues are there with funding within the dance department? Have they improved/not improved over the last year?

Money is a massive issue as you are funded per student and out numbers are small. Last year our budget was £50 for the whole year. This year its a bit better but not enough to buy new stereos etc and we spend a small fortune on DVDs and CD's. Hence why we do the showcase every year.

6) What do you think the benefits are of after school dance clubs and how do help facilitate the students who want to progress in the subject.

After school clubs are about offering all students the opportunity to do dance not just the ones who have opted for it. We try and do something different to the exam classes and obviously rock challenge goes down well. Pulse stretches the gifted but we are finding this year that there isn't any time to do al lthe clubs that we used to do and support the curriculum, It does help those with a limited dance background to develop performance skills etc

On reflection ;

In conclusion to these answers, I have found an insight into the dance departments within a state school. Firstly it shouldn't go unrecognised that Dance should be taken as a serious subject and as the grade boundaries state, 96% is not easy to achieve. The idea that open evenings are now a great opportunity to let the dance teachers give students a real insight to what the subject will entail. Mrs Robinson also commented on the way dance can help students succeed within a subject, in reference to question 4, she told me about a student who hated anything theory but was able to express herself through dance practically and found that this was now her strong subject. There are clear avenues of frustration for dance teachers and I would be interested to find out more of a general feel in the area in regards to funding and lack of opportunity. I was genuinely shocked to find out that a budget for one whole school year for the dance department is £50. In order to have good costumes or sets for the rock challenge competition, the school holds annual dance showcases which the after school clubs twice a week will be a way of rehearsal. The money raised through ticket sales will contribute towards DVDs etc.

In reference back to question 1, where the curriculum is going to be changing from 80:20 to 60:40 this will prove a harder theory based subject than what Dance is perhaps perceived. As Mrs Robinson also mention, dance for those who may have a dance background can enhance the learning process but if they struggle with theory this may become a set back. It seems the board of studies may feel that anatomy in dance is just as important as anatomy in PE. Because the two are linked within some schools syllabus, I agree that it should have a stronger focus and allows students to become aware of there bodies a bit more. This can also prove to be helpful within the transition of GCSE to A Level.

When my PDSW answers come in, I look forward to comparing the two and hope to evaluate and reflect further into a possible line of inquiry,

Steph