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2016 and 2017

I'm a Federation Head of Performing Arts at Castle Newnham School

Since graduating with a first class honours, I trained to be a secondary drama teacher through PGCE. I began my teaching career at Castle Newnham School, an all-through school in Bedford. I have been involved in the development of the school’s performing arts provision, focused primarily on implementing drama & dance in the school’s curriculum initially. I now lead the whole performing arts department which teaches performing arts from Year 1 to Year 11. Leading a team of 5 we deliver drama, music, dance and film studies. We also produce 2 productions a year - some of which have gone on to win regional awards.Ìý

Studying the different mediums of the performing arts has supported me to continue seeing the performing arts as a collective art form but also as district disciplines in their own right. Over the course, I developed as an actor, dancer, director, choreographer and designer. Studying performance through an interdisciplinary approach has allowed me to continue developing my own theoretical thinking in my performance work and also when teaching performing arts to young people. My dissertation research focused on Castle Newnham’s development and growth as a new secondary school, in particular how the arts could potentially expand with the introduction of drama and dance. It has been an exciting experience to continue implementing my research findings in the educational setting I used as the case study. Seeing the impact the research study and how it’s contributed to the school is fulfilling. Through building great relationships with my lecturers I am still able to seek their knowledge and expertise - they continue to contact and ‘check up’ on graduates. Through my work in school? I continue to get involved with the partnership aspect of the university when they organise events. I love to see how inspired my pupils are, in the setting that inspired me the most.Ìý

Lecturers are supportive and dedicated to their fields of study.Ìý

Freedom

Performing in the first devised musical at the university on the undergraduate performing arts course.Ìý

Keep learning, keep creating, keep performing!