Unit One: Drama skills - Devising from stimulus to create an original piece of work. The stimulus enables positive discussion of many different topics. They are all open to interpretation but encourage discussion towards issues prevalent in today’s society. Pupils are encouraged to explore this stimulus thoroughly, individually and in groups, in a safe and supportive environment, always supported by their class teacher. This unit is completed with a variety of activities - whole class discussion, group discussion, individual exploration, working in groups to develop their piece, leading activities, a written folio to support and document the practical activities and it leads up to a performance of the devised piece. They must perform their final piece to an invited audience.

Unit Two: Production skills – Production Skills is taught alongside Drama skills. Pupils specialise in two production roles from the following: acting, lighting design, sound design, props design and costume design. The acting production role is carried out during the Drama Skills unit, as everyone must act. Each group is paired up with another group, who become production teams for each other. This is where the second production role is carried out, during the paired group’s drama skills performance. Each production skills is explored practically in the class and the pupils work independently and in a group preparing the two areas they specialise in for performance, and submit a written folio to support and document the practical activities.

Final Unit - Performance - The pupils choose to specialise in either: acting, props or costume. They must then work to present a piece from a published script and complete a series of written tasks. They must perform their extract to an invited audience and an external examiner. This exam can be as early as March. The final performance is worth 60% of the overall grade, with the written exam making up the remaining 40%.

Final written exam – The exam paper is in two sections. In section one, pupils are asked to reflect and evaluate on a performance they have been in during the course. They answer questions in order to structure their evaluation. In section two pupils are given a range of stimuli and have to create a drama on the spot. They are asked a series of questions and must answering these using terminology and vocabulary taught throughout the course.

Drama Skills – Internally assessed by class teacher

Productions Skills – Internally assed by class teacher

Performance – Externally assessed by examiner who visits the school

Pupils must have completed the S3 drama course, or have experience in acting, in order to choose National 5 drama. There are no cost implications for this course, as long as pupils choose to act throughout. If pupils decide to specialise in the area of props or costume, there would be a cost implication in terms of sourcing any materials/resources that they may require.