BTEC Dance Launches at Leighton Park!

An exciting curriculum development for our expressive arts programme has been announced with effect from September 2026; BTEC Dance is now available!

This strategic shaping of the Sixth Form curriculum to include BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate in Performing Arts (Dance) will provide our students with an exhilarating experience of physical dance which encompasses far more practical work and engaging content than the A Level equivalent. The school has been offering A Level Dance since 2023 and GCSE Dance since 2018 with an extremely successful co-curricular dance programme encompassing street dance, NATD qualifications and the school’s own dance company, LooP. Our talented dancers showcase their creative achievements in the annual celebration, ‘Let’s Dance’, which grows ever-more popular each year.

Kees Luteijn, Assistant Head, enthused: “Our move to offering BTEC Dance reflects our commitment to offering a range of rigorous and industry-relevant pathways that genuinely meet the needs and aspirations of our students. BTEC Dance strengthens the diversity of our Sixth Form curriculum and ensures that every student can follow a pathway that plays to their strengths. By offering specialist technical and vocational courses that can be combined with A Levels, and the IB Diploma Programme, we are ensuring that our Sixth Form provides an exceptionally broad and inclusive curriculum”.

Head of Dance, Beth Butler, explained further: “The switch from A Level Dance to BTEC Dance was made to better support students’ diverse learning styles and career aspirations. BTEC Dance offers a more practical, coursework-based approach that places greater emphasis on continuous assessment, real-world skills, and applied learning, which many students find more accessible and engaging. They are rewarded for their process as well as the final products created. They are also able to produce evidence for assessment using a wide range of media. This structure allows learners to demonstrate their strengths through performance, choreography, and reflective practice rather than relying heavily on final written and practical examinations, while also providing clearer pathways into the dance industry and related creative careers.”