Higher Drama

SCQF Framework

SCQF Level: 6

SCQF Credit Points: 24

Skills Framework

Delivering Centre

Vale of Leven Academy

Purpose and Aims

The course enables candidates to develop and use a range of complex drama skills and production skills. Candidates develop practical skills in creating and presenting drama, and knowledge and understanding of historical, social and cultural influences on drama. They analyse and evaluate how the use of self-expression, language and movement can develop their ideas for drama. They also develop critical-thinking skills as they investigate, develop and apply a range of complex drama skills and production skills. 

The course enables candidates to:  

Recommended Entry

Candidates should have achieved  National 5 Drama  or equivalent level 5 qualifications and/or experience prior to starting this course. 



Progression

Career Options

Further Information

Course Content

The course has an integrated approach to learning, giving candidates the opportunity to develop practical and evaluative skills, as well as knowledge and understanding of drama and its influences. Candidates explore and develop a range of complex drama skills and approaches to communicating thoughts and ideas to an audience.

 They explore acting skills by developing and portraying a range of characters. They learn how to respond to stimuli, including text, and develop knowledge, understanding and practical experience of form, structure, genre and style when creating and presenting drama. 

Candidates generate ideas for presenting text using production areas. They explore and develop practical skills in a range of complex production areas. They apply these skills to enhance the presentation of text. 

Candidates develop knowledge and understanding of historical, social, cultural and theatrical influences on drama. They learn how to evaluate their own progress and the progress of others. Candidates also consider the influence that cultural values, identities and ideas have on drama 

Course Assessment Structure

Candidates apply a sample of all the skills, knowledge and understanding listed for the question paper in the ‘Skills, knowledge and understanding for the course assessment’ section of this document. T

he question paper has three sections:  

section 1: theatre production: text in context (extended-response questions) 

section 2: theatre production: application (structured questions)  

section 3: performance analysis (extended-response questions) 

For sections 1 and 2, candidates must answer on their selected text. For section 3, candidates must answer on a performance they have seen using a different text from that used in sections 1 and 2. 

The question paper has 50 marks out of a total of 110 marks. This is scaled by SQA to represent 40% of the overall marks for the course assessment.