Drama
Our vision for a Remarkable experience is to equip students to be able to access the creativity of drama by developing practical, contextual and evaluative skills. We develop our students to be confident, independent and collaborative learners with the imagination and creativity to think differently.
Developing Moral Capital
Students respect others when performing regardless of ability, showing appreciation to performers clapping at appropriate times and offering constructive criticism. They listen with respect and focus. Students are encouraged to be independent as well as collaborative with each other and crucially, respecting the ability of others whilst understanding one’s own areas of strength and development. The texts and topics studied at all Key Stages address a range of moral themes, such as in Year 7 when exploring different types of bullying such as cyber/physical/name calling. They show empathy when exploring the role of a bully, bystander and victim.
Developing Social Capital
All Drama units include building relationships, confidence and communication skills. All students have the opportunity to understand and have the role of a director, taking leadership within their group and developing communication skills. Students explore what it means to be part of an audience and the implications of the relationship between performer and observer in terms of social interaction.
Developing Cultural Capital
From Key Stage 3 through to GCSE, students study a wide variety of dramatic styles, forms, traditions and genres. They contribute to the culture of the drama department ethos. Students prepare well for performances, attending practice sessions after school and at lunchtimes (demonstrating independent learning). They are involved in LAMDA and theatre visits to extend their understanding of the world of drama. Texts from other cultures feature in the curriculum to broaden their understanding of writing from around the world.
Developing Knowledge Capital
Students develop a range of drama skills and knowledge including:
- Still image
- Thought tracking
- Physical Theatre
- Transitions
- Role play
- Characterisation
As they progress through the Key Stages, they move onto more complex knowledge such as researching the work of different theatre practitioners such as Berkoff, Stanislavski, DV8, Joan Littlewood and Brecht. In Year 13, they study Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and develop an understanding of the morals within the text with reference to women in the 19th Century and their role within society and how to interrogate plays like this for deeper meanings.
Developing Community Capital
Our students love performing in the school and wider community - we have annual performances as well as in the classroom environment and engage in local and national competitions. They explore ideas which support their understanding of community and personal issues, such as learning about the dangers of drugs through studying a case of a boy who became mute after being involved with drugs.
Curriculum Roadmaps KS3 - Year 7
Curriculum Roadmaps KS3 - Year 8
Curriculum Roadmaps KS3 - Year 9
Curriculum Roadmaps KS4 - 10 & 11
Curriculum Roadmaps KS5 - 12 & 13
Key Stage 3
Drama at KS3 aims to do two things; the first is to equip students with the necessary skills to succeed should they decide to take Drama as a GCSE exam in KS4. The second strand is broader and applies to all students irrespective of their pathway choices. We encourage students to be imaginative and daring. A recent survey by local employers stating the skills that they would like any prospective employees to have looks like a check list of all of the things that are routinely embedded in any drama lesson; people skills, problem solving in a practical or creative way, interpersonal and communication skills and organising any information gathered. We also aim to have some fun while learning these key disciplines.
Key Stage 4
Students will study towards a GCSE in Drama for 2.5 hours per week which is made up of three units. For the first unit 'Devising Drama' students will work in groups to explore a stimulus provided by the exam board and will produce a final performance as well as a portfolio. This unit is worth 30% of the overall GCSE.
The second unit, also worth 30% is 'Presenting and Performing Texts' where students will perform two extracts of a play to a visiting examiner.
The final unit is a written exam which is worth 40% of the overall GCSE. Students will write about a text that they have studied during lessons and will write a live theatre review based on a performance they have seen.
This course is well suited to students who are passionate about performing, enjoy working in a group and will learn skills that are transferrable to any career.
Key Stage 5
Drama
The course is designed to provide a broad understanding of how the various areas of theatre (Writing, Acting, Direction, Design and Criticism) combine to reflect social, historical, political and cultural concerns of the times.
This two year course is assessed through a terminal written paper at the end of the two years study, as well as a practical text based unit that is assessed by an external visiting examiner and an internally assessed devised unit.
BTEC Performing Arts
The course is made up of three mandatory modules and one optional module. The mandatory modules are:
Unit 1: Investigating Practitioners’ Work - You will investigate the work of performing arts practitioners and develop critical analysis skills and contextual understanding of how practitioners communicate themes in their work.
Unit 2: Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance - You will explore technical performance skills with a focus on developing skills and techniques in at least two different performance styles.
Unit 3: Group Performance Workshop - You will explore and integrate creative, physical and vocal skills and techniques, working collaboratively to create a performance in response to a given stimulus.
Optional Modules will be decided at the start of the course.
A combination of internally and externally assessed coursework and practical performances.