Head of Faculty for Performing and Visual Arts Mr Knowles was joined by Drama Teacher Mr Futerill to present a Friday Faculty Foci last week that encouraged all staff to consider facilitating even more live observations of performances of student work.

In their faculty, Key Stage 3 classes actively watch drama, music and dance dress rehearsals and examination performances by Key Stage 4 and 5 students and find it a truly inspiring experience – often motivating them to consider picking these subjects later on in their school careers. The process is mutually beneficial as the younger students provide that real ‘audience’ dynamic and, from their perceptive insights, provide excellent powerful live feedback. Transferring this concept across the curriculum might translate into younger students looking at practical coursework or examination scripts or model answers from older students’ work. Younger children learning from older ones is a powerful lever for self improvement across any school.