Medium Term Plan - Dance - Year 1

The Year 1 Dance curriculum at Key Stage 1 spans over 6 lessons with the aim to introduce students to the world of dance by exploring simple body movements and actions. The children will learn to use different parts of their bodies to match movements to various stimuli and will practice remembering and repeating sequences. A key objective is to help them understand the connection between exercise and health while developing teamwork and turn-taking skills. They will gain knowledge in replicating movements to music, using actions within a set sequence, and the principles of sharing and taking turns. The skills honed during the lessons include gestures, expression, travelling, jumps, and turns. The learning journey is designed to progressively build on basic movements, with the use of music as a stimulus to create actions, and to develop the ability to listen and follow instructions closely.

The scheme of work, titled 'Dance – Machines', encourages pupils to accurately replicate movements to music, using different body parts and space. They will apply movements to a dance sequence themed around 'machines', fostering creativity and expression. The programme also includes warm-up and cool-down exercises, utilises video recordings for self-reflection, and promotes the use of appropriate vocabulary to discuss dance. As students progress, they will develop decision-making and problem-solving skills, work collaboratively, and learn to evaluate and improve their performances. The lessons offer opportunities for cross-curricular links with literacy and numeracy, and various assessment methods are employed to gauge pupil progress. By the end of the unit, students are expected to reach different levels of competency, from observing and copying basic movements to creating and refining dance sequences with awareness of the audience.