Our ambitious and inclusive curriculum is designed to empower our students to become life-long learners and successful global citizens.

Through a well-sequenced curriculum, we intend to embed knowledge and skills that challenge all learners. By exposing students to a broad range of performances, choreographers and styles we aim to foster an appreciation for Dance. 

Literacy is a central focus of our Dance curriculum, which is organised thematically to enhance cultural capital and engage students with various dance styles, ultimately nurturing a passion for both reading and performing. Students frequently engage with texts and interviews that illustrate a choreographer's intent, the choreographic process, and the historical background of different dance styles.

By enhancing students’ personal confidence and movement abilities in performance, along with their speaking, presenting and writing skills in evaluating and analysing artistic intentions of choreographers’ and themselves, we aim to cultivate students who are critical readers and powerful communicators who can effectively engaged with the modern world.

Students develop their understanding of social and historical contexts by exploring our themes of Fundamentals, Appreciation and Insight, as part of our enriched and society-centred curriculum. This is aligned with the KS4 Dance Curriculum. The five criteria students will be marked against are Physical Skills, Expressive Skills, Technical Skills, Mental Skills, Choreographic Skills.  

At Heston Community School, we provide subject-specific career education to raise aspirations and allow our students to make informed decisions about their future. To clarify the various careers in Dance, we create opportunities for students to think like costume designers, producers, theatre technicians, marketers, event planners, choreographers, and dancers. Additionally, we highlight how advanced speaking, presenting, reflective, and analytical skills—developed explicitly in Dance—are essential for a wide array of professions across multiple industries.

Our Curriculum Maps outline our curriculum design and the development of knowledge and skills from Years 7-9. The curriculum is adapted to support and challenge students with different starting points, whilst remaining ambitious for all.