SUMMARY

1. In general, we welcome the revised curriculum, which has a more easily understandable format than the 1995 orders and the inclusion of level descriptions.
2. Overall the proposals fail to indicate sufficiently, that dance as an art form has its own language, body of knowledge and understanding.
3. The first section giving the distinctive contribution of Physical Education, defines the subject narrowly as a ‘physical’ activity taking no account of the central rationale for dance as an artistic, aesthetic and cultural as well as physical subject.
4. The language for the individual dance activity area is often unhelpful and at times conceptually unsound. It requires considerable amendment and re-writing to make clear that composing, performing and appreciating are central to teaching and learning in dance.
5. We welcome the inclusion of dance as a compulsory activity at KS1 and KS2. However its optional status at KS3 will only reinforce gender stereotypes. i.e. there will be no encouragement to provide more access to dance for boys. It will continue to restrict progression routes into GCSE Dance and Performing Arts for large numbers of pupils.
6. We fully support the flexibility of two activity areas at KS4. This will allow schools to teach to their strengths and enable them to respond to the interests of their pupils.
7. The NDTA regrets that there is no mention of an ICT dimension to the PE and Dance Curriculum.
8. It is vital that the National Curriculum continues to allow flexibility of delivery for dance because it is taught within a variety of subject areas in schools especially at KS3/4.
9. Looking to the future, we strongly recommend that a review of the arts within the national curriculum be undertaken with particular reference to the place of dance and drama.

1. Introduction

1.1 The National Dance Teachers’ Association (NDTA) is a voluntary body with charitable status and is the leading organisation representing dance teachers in schools. NDTA membership includes teachers in secondary and primary schools across the UK, college lecturers, advisers, inspectors, professional dancers, community dance workers and all those concerned with dance education.

1.2 The views expressed in this response are informed by extensive consultation across our membership. The NDTA national conference, Setting the Scene for Dance in Birmingham October 1997, identified and confirmed the main issues regarding dance in the national curriculum and a questionnaire sent to all our members in January supported those views. A paper summarising concerns regarding Dance in the National Curriculum was sent to QCA in May 1998 with the results of the questionnaire.

1.3 The NDTA comments on the review documentation are based on the premise that dance is a distinctive area of experience providing the opportunity to use movement symbolically as a means of expression within a variety of cultural, aesthetic and artistic contexts. In addition, our policy states that dance education should involve pupils in:

• composing – which includes the imaginative exploration and composition of symbolic movement
• performing – which develops physical and expressive skills
• appreciating – which includes observing, describing, analysing, interpreting and evaluating their own dances and those of others

2. General Comments

2.1 In general we welcome the revised curriculum which has a more easily understandable format than the 1995 orders which for the first time, proposes level descriptions for Physical Education.

2.2. However, we are concerned that the proposed new orders are very different in both content and structure from the 1995 orders. In particular planning, performing and evaluating are no longer prominent features. This has implications for the confidence of teachers to teach effectively and will necessitate an extensive INSET programme across all phases.

2.3 It is essential that a balance be maintained between composing, performing and appreciating in dance to ensure the integrity of the subject in schools. The consultation materials give insufficient attention to the appreciative aspects of dance teaching, which is essential to both reinforce and extend learning in and understanding of dance.

2.4 Overall the language for the individual dance activity area is unhelpful and at times conceptually unclear. The current wording fails to indicate sufficiently, that dance as an art form has its own language, body of knowledge and mode of understanding. It is vital that the descriptive content is both accessible to non-specialist Dance/PE teachers and is in keeping with other art forms, to allow for appropriate cross-curricular links. The Appendix includes detailed comments on the programmes of study for dance. We have given suggestions for alternative wording.

2.5 The notion of sequential learning implied by the use of ‘and then’ is misleading for dance and results in over complex statements. However, we have maintained this model in our suggestions for alternative wording although we would prefer a different format such as bullet points or use of the semicolon.

3. The distinctive contribution of physical education to the school curriculum

3.1 The distinctive contribution statement gives no recognition to the aesthetic and artistic nature of dance, nor of the considerable body of knowledge and the broad historical and cultural heritage, which is an essential to the nature of dance in our society and good practice in dance education. This is seen in dance syllabuses GCSE, AL, BTEC etc and in practice in the professional dance world, which builds on the history of dance as a social, cultural and artistic practice.

3.2 This section defines the subject narrowly as a ‘physical’ activity. Physical Education involves a range of activities such as dance, where the rationale for the subject includes the aesthetic, artistic and cultural which are manifest in and through the physical. Gymnastics for instance, also has an aesthetic dimension. These essential features of the subject have not been identified.

3.3 We recognise that it is problematic to accommodate this within a subject area such as physical education that includes such a diverse range of activities. However, we believe that with some simple amendments the statement could go some way to address this vital issue.

3.4 In addition this section makes no mention of the personal and social skills developed through physical education as a whole, nor access to career opportunities (see Music p.162 which includes career routes). The inclusion of being active and healthy is entirely appropriate, but there is no mention of encouraging young people to be knowledgeable and informed spectators of any of the activities or the important link to lifelong learning.

3.5 The previous draft of the consultation materials included a separate statement about the nature of each activity areas. This has now been included in the Terminolgy Booklet. Physical education is such a diverse subject that it is essential in the statutory documentation that the distinctiveness of each activity is given.

4. Programmes of Study

4.1 The structure of each key stage section is helpful, starting with a statement which summarises the features of teaching and learning within the age range and identifying four core strands giving the skills, knowledge and understanding required. However we suggest the following amendments:

Key Stage 2: The phrase "and, later to refine them and use more fluently" does not convey the way in which pupils are refining their skills in all lessons. We suggest:

"increase the range of their physical skills, progressively refining them and increasing their fluency."

Key Stage 3: The statement does not include reference to the artistic, expressive nature of dance. We suggest "to adapt, modify and extend their motor, manipulative and expressive skills."

In addition the final sentence would be more appropriate as follows: "able to take on a variety of roles such as leader, official, choreographer, performer".

4.2 The conceptual framework for the four core strands is clear, but for dance can be inappropriate. The processes central to dance education are not easily separated in this way, and good practice in dance education requires that the skills associated with composing, performing and appreciating in dance are developed alongside each other as inter-related strands. In addition, although the second strand "Selecting and Applying" emphasises compositional skills, the first and third strands "Acquiring and Developing Skills" and "Evaluating and Improving Performance" focus primarily on the acquisition of physical skills and not the broader knowledge and understanding central to dance. If the third strand "Evaluating and Improving" incorporated appreciating, these concerns would be partly addressed.

4.3 The final strand, "Knowledge and understanding of fitness and health" is helpful. The NDTA is pleased that these aspects have been integrated into the activity areas and not identified as separate content.

5. Breadth of study across the key stages

5.1 We welcome the inclusion of dance as a compulsory activity at KS1 and KS2. However its optional status at KS3 will only re-inforce gender stereotypes. I.e. there will be no encouragement to provide more access to dance for boys. It will also restrict progression routes into GCSE Dance and Performing Arts for large numbers of pupils.

5.2 The removal of Units A and B at KS3 is to be commended and will allow more flexibility in planning and allow more depth of study.

5.3 We fully support the flexibility of any two activities, introduced at KS4. This will allow schools to teach to their strengths and enable them to respond to the interests of their pupils.

6. Dance Activities

6.1 The dance activities proposed at each key stage need considerable further work to ensure appropriate content, balance and progression through the key stages. In general the language for the dance activities is unhelpful and needs considerable re-writing to give the clarity required, especially for the non-specialist at KS1 and KS2. The content of the individual bullet points is frequently over complex with statements including a mixture of concepts.

6.2 The ‘and then’ statements are unhelpful, as progression between the first and second statement is not always logical or relevant to the way children learn in dance.

6.3 As stated above, it is essential that a balance is maintained between composing, performing and appreciating dance and that clear progression of those elements is evident from key stage to key stage.

6.4 See Appendix for detailed comments and suggested rewording of the Dance Activity sections.

7. Draft attainment target: physical education

7.1 The NDTA is pleased that an 8 level scale has been proposed. However we recommend that the Level Descriptions for Physical Education are amended to reflect more consistently and distinctively, the activities proposed. The individual needs of Dance are not met within the broad statements given in this draft and the descriptions fail to take account of progression within performance, composition and appreciation. The descriptions should relate more clearly to the content of the activity areas and the language used should relate to other arts subjects to ensure parity of standards.

8. Links between subjects

8.1 It is helpful that some link has been made at KS1 and 2 with Music. This could be extended further to look at common language across all the arts. More fundamental is the level of conceptual understanding required at each Key Stage in different arts subjects. We would hope that some cross referencing will be made to ensure that each subject supports the development of understanding in areas common to the arts e.g. understanding of musical structures and devices at KS3 in Music and Dance, nature of characterisation and narrative form in dance and drama.

9. Information and Communication Technology

9.1 The NDTA regrets that there is no mention of an ICT dimension to the PE and Dance Curriculum. While acknowledging the need for the subject to focus on physically active learning, the use of ICT as a support for learning in dance is well established and understood, particularly at the secondary level. Good dance teaching involves the use of a range of electronic devices including use of audio tape/CD, video, stage lighting as well as some computer keyboarding at GCSE and A/AS level. These extend the learning experience for pupils who are able to reflect on their own work and gain invaluable understanding of professional dance practice through video. The Increasing availability of innovative, interactive teaching materials for dance and physical education further supports the need to include a statement concerning ICT.

We strongly recommend that a statement concerning the use of ICT should be made within the statutory orders and guidance given with specific examples.

10. Delivery of dance within the school curriculum

10.1 It is vital that the National Curriculum continues to allow flexibility of delivery for dance because it is taught within a variety of subject areas in schools. In KS3/4 it is taught within PE departments, Expressive Arts or Performing Arts departments. At KS4 and Post-16 the examination syllabuses reflect its Performing Arts status. We recommend at this point be stated either within the statutory requirements or in the accompanying guidance materials.

11. Comments on the Secretary of State’s Proposals

11.1 The section in the Secretary of State’s proposals, ‘Proposed revisions to physical education’ (p.9) completely ignores the creative, aesthetic, artistic and cultural dimension. This is a serious omission for the reasons given above in comments on the distinctive contribution of physical education.

11.2 The suggestion that 2 hours a week should be an aim both within and outside the national curriculum is confusing. This should be re-phrased to make clear what the entitlement should be within the curriculum.

11.3 The inclusion of a framework for personal, social and health education and citizenship is to be supported at all key stages. The NDTA recommends that the special contribution of physical education and the arts are given more prominence in the examples given as teachers of these subjects have a special contribution to make in these areas.

12. Looking to the Future

The NDTA endorses the proposal to develop the national curriculum through a planned programme of work focussing on specific issues. We strongly recommend that a review of the arts within the national curriculum be undertaken with particular reference to the place of dance and drama.

APPENDIX Programmes of Study : Dance Activities Key Stage 1-4