Creative & Performing Arts

At St Mary’s Catholic College, we aim to provide every student with a high quality and inclusive Arts education.  The Arts will both complement and develop the Catholic Christian ethos of our College community.  The Arts are a means through which every student can realise their potential.  The Arts in education provide safe environments, in which our students can debate, understand and celebrate what it means to be a young person growing up in the twenty first century.  The Arts enable students to develop their self-awareness and grow in self-esteem.  The Arts foster qualities of empathy with others, sensitivity and tolerance-qualities central to the ethos of St Mary’s Catholic Arts College.

The curriculum

The curriculum at Key Stage 3 for the Arts is delivered through a variety of topics in order to develop students understanding and enjoyment for the Arts and we have developed lessons to focus on the diversity of experience, pupil engagement and enjoyment.

At KS4, pupils can opt to choose Dance, Drama, Music or Art. depending on pupil pathway opting for two disciplines may be possible.  

At Key Stage 5   we offer an enriched curriculum to develop the future for all learners. A very successful vocational pathway is in place where Performing Arts in Acting or Dance and Music provide access to the arts in a vocational context.

At A level we offer ‘A’ level courses in Art and Design and Textiles.

Extra-Curricular

In addition to this we have a specialised programme of enrichment opportunities through our extracurricular program.  

Here at St Mary's we pride ourselves on the breadth of opportunities that our pupils have access to. Through the extra -curricular programme, we aim  to provide all pupils with the opportunity to become involved in an Arts experience with a range of aims, including skill based activities i.e. instrumental tuition, involvement in Performance based work and rehearsal, professional artist workshops, performing at professional venues and seeing professional live theatre.

Throughout each year we aim to organise as many performance opportunities as possible to share and celebrate the pupils achievements in the Arts. These could include: Key Stage 3 Performance Evening, Musical Celebrations, Assemblies, Art Exhibition and Fashion show, Dance show, College show, Carol Concert, Summer Showcase and many more, to which parents, teachers, governors and the community are all invited.