AQA A-Level Dance: Aiming for A/A*

Course Code: T0070 £289.00

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This new course is focussed on how to ensure your students achieve the highest marks in all areas of the A Level Dance course. It will focus on exploring the characteristics of work produced by students working at the highest levels and explore a range of teaching materials that stretch and challenge your students to achieve A and A*grades.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

  • Gain fresh approaches to creative teaching ideas that push A and A* students
  • Explore exemplar materials to identify characteristics of outstanding work
  • Consider lessons learnt from the examination series in 2024 and how to apply these to your teaching
  • Take away key methods for ensuring students get A and A* in each of the practical and written components.
  • Build into your teaching top grade assessment criteria for successful outcomes.

PROGRAMME

Summarised Feedback from 2024

10.00am
  • What do the examiners want to see? Understand what is expected for outstanding performances in all areas of the course.
  • Identify what prevents students achieving more marks in the written exam
  • Consider lessons learnt from both the 2024 examination series for Grade A and A* students

Focus on Assessment Demands for the High Grades

10.30am
  • Examine the assessment demands of all components including the use of assessment objectives as a framework for assessment and feedback to your students.
  • Review characteristics of an A and A* A Level student in the context of this specification
  • Clarify the requirements of the range of questions in the written exam to ensure the most able students can meet this to the highest level
  • Delivering feedback using the vocabulary of the mark scheme to further the progress of your high achieving students.
 

Break

11.00am

Achieving Top Grades in Component 2: Critical Engagements/The Written Papers

11.15am
  • Planning, retrieving and reviewing- how to engage and succeed on the journey to the written exam.
  • Overview of different types of Rooster questions, including how to approach different command words to ensure your students gain maximum marks in this section.
  • Awakening students’ knowledge on the practitioners within Rambert and other areas of study: what students need to know.
  • Refining the delivery and their understanding of Rambert’s history using a variety of resources.
  • How to refine essay writing for your students to prepare for the 25 mark essay response.
  • Example responses and marking tasks with feedback.
 

Lunch

12.30pm

Achieving Top Grades in Component 1: Performance and Choreography

1.30pm
  • Improving performance and technique: strategies for giving feedback to students using the marking criteria.
  • High expectations: tools to stretch and challenge your students in the lead up to the practical exam.
  • Exemplar solo and quartet work of A and A*students, with a focus on understanding the demands of achieving highly in the practical exam.
  • How to support your students in their choreography process: giving regular and meaningful feedback
  • Exemplar group choreography, with a focus on understanding the grading and learning from the examiner’s report.
  • Characteristics of the most successful candidates in the choreography component
 

Break

2.15pm

Exam Techniques and Tactics

2.30pm
  • Fun and motivating ways to prepare your students in the final days and weeks before the practical and written exams.
  • Predicting the paper: familiarise your students with the characteristics of previous exam questions and knowing how to answer them.
  • Strategies to prepare your students for the assessments and examination.
  • Understand the highest demands of outstanding use of dance vocabulary – what examiners expect to see from A and A* students

Depart

3.15pm
A-Level - Code: T0070

AQA A-Level Dance: Aiming for A/A*

COURSE LEADER

Claire Noonan has been a Head of Dance in a mixed state comprehensive school and has been dedicated to dance in education for over twenty years. In addition, Claire is a Specialist Leader in Education (SLE) and has taken on consultancy roles at both primary and secondary level, within a variety of demographics.

Claire has improved the quality of dance provision within a number of schools, she has a wealth of experience in working with a range of professionals, a diverse set of students and how to work effectively within time and budgetary restraints. Claire trained as a professional dancer at London Contemporary Dance School. She believes that subject knowledge is paramount and that teachers should work closely with professional dancers to maintain momentum and knowledge.

Claire has maintained and established links with dancers and choreographers (closely affiliated with the set works at GCSE and A-Level) to ensure that her students experience an array of artists and feel inspired for dance theory and prepared for their future dance training. Results in GCSE Dance in 2019 were: 95.6% 9-4 (A*-C), % 9-7 and (A*/A) 39.13% and 2018: 100% 9-4 (A*-C), % 9-7 and (A*/A) 72.2% Claire continually receives outstanding grade 1’s on lesson observations, she is passionate about teaching and passionate about sharing her knowledge and good practice to inspire teachers who in turn, inspire their students.

 

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