New College Pontefract is the area’s number one specialist, academic sixth-form college. Our outstanding Performing Arts department features incredible facilities including:
- State-of-the-art recording studio and live room.
- Theatre with professional sound and lighting system.
- Dance studio with mirror wall.
- iMac suite with industry-standard recording software.
- Practice rooms and instruments for students to hone their skills.
100% PASS RATE IN 2023
OUR COURSES
UAL PERFORMING AND PRODUCTION ARTS
(Diploma Equivalent to 1.5 A-levels, Extended Diploma Equivalent to 3 A-levels)
Meet The Team
Michelle Colvill
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Adam Hidle
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Grant Woodfine
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Emma Gumbley
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Hayley Humphries
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MUSIC CAREER PATHWAYS
BTEC and A-Level Music will help you to take your first steps towards a new career with the right blend of technical and academic skills in order to become the highly skilled, work-ready individuals’ employers and universities look for. The BTEC Level 3 Nationals and A-Level Music are qualifications designed to help you succeed. They have been developed in collaboration with over 5,000 universities, employers and professional bodies with employability at the heart, so your learners can develop the skills and confidence they will need to step into their future providing maximum flexibility around course content working towards your strengths and interests.
In BTEC Sound Engineering, lessons are very practical to give students the best opportunities to develop their skills for employment or further study at degree level. You will study both independently and as part of a team, depending on the nature of your task, which means each lesson is varied in delivery. You will have access to our state-of-the-art iMac suite(s), complete with industry standard software and our amazing recording studio with top quality microphones, preamps and other equipment. Finally, the music department are keen to run many different trips for our students to enhance your experience on the course even more. We love to visit industry leading universities and plan to go on music tours overseas, so that you can get real world experience!
PERFORMING ARTS CAREER PATHWAYS
Merging these two subjects together; Dance and Drama would provide students with a strong start to their performance aspirations, confidence and practical ability. Both courses embarks on building performance, theory and transferable skills. The confidence growth seen in students who study these courses is remarkable. All students leave our courses being strong minded, critical thinkers who can develop work independently and work extremely well in collaboration with others.
Dance is more than just a form of entertainment. Dance builds connections between students and our ever-developing world; it is embedded within every culture and allows us to explore and share traditions. Studying dance also promotes opportunities for students to develop many personal and employability skills such as collaboration, discipline and adaptability that will benefit our students as they move onto face the challenges found in Higher Education or employment.
WHERE PERFORMING ARTS CAN TAKE YOU
| CAREER | SALARY |
| Music Producer | £15,000 – £63,000 |
| Music Therapist | £24,000 – £83,000 |
| Musician | £15,000. -£111,000 |
| Private Music Teacher | £22,000 – £70,000 |
| Secondary School Teacher | £22,000 – £46,000 |
| Sound Engineer | £19,000 – £49,000 |
| Physiotherapist | £24,000 – £49,000 |
| Dance Development Co-ordinator | £24,000 – £35,000 |
| Dance Performer | £21,000 – £31,000 |
| Personal Trainer | £19,000 – £91,000 |
| Producer | £27,000 – £82,000 |
| Director | £15,000 – £98,000 |
| Actor / Actress | £13,000 – £126,000 |
| Lighting Designer | £21,000 – £40,000 |
| Prop Maker | £28,000 – £46,000 |
| Costume Designer | £20,000 – £31,000 |
| Marketing | £19,000 – £116,000 |
| Events Manager | £20,000 – £42,000 |
| Social Worker | £23,000 – £41,000 |
ENRICHMENT
At New College Pontefract, we offer many exciting Performing Arts enrichment opportunities to further your journey towards where you want to be! Anyone can come and get involved with:
DANCE GROUP
MUSICAL THEATRE ACADEMIES
MUSIC THEORY
ARTS AWARD
COLLEGE MUSICAL
FUNCTION BAND
VOCAL GROUP
SAXOPHONE QUARTET
WIND ENSEMBLE
TRIPS AND VISITS TO LONDON, ‘MOVE IT’ DANCE EVENT, UNIVERSITIES AND HE TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, GUEST SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOPS
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
Imogen Walker, Crofton Academy
“A-level Drama really is a brilliant subject. There’s never ending opportunities to let your creativity run wild and really just let loose and enjoy the subject. Every lesson there is something new and exciting to get stuck into! Drama is a safe, welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to express themselves and make amazing friends.”
Edith Senior, Minsthorpe Community College
“The course has developed my confidence as a musician and also increased my knowledge of music theory at a higher level whilst still maintaining an engaging atmosphere in every lesson. The teachers are supportive of every student’s needs.”
Grace Lonsdale, The Kings High School Dance
“I have really enjoyed learning about the different practitioners and choreographers within the dance industry. We had the opportunity to perform in the annual showcase, which helped develop our confidence and skills as performers.”
Calum Green, Brayton Academy
“I feel that my time in Sound Engineering has had a great impact on me as a musician, a sound engineer and as an individual. My teacher has done a brilliant job at developing my knowledge surrounding music technology, allowing me to use the skills I have learnt outside of college in a musical setting.”
