Drama
CURRICULUM INTENT
All pupils:
- Enjoy learning about drama for its own sake
- Learn first through practical activity; learning drama dramatically
- Have a conceptual and practical understanding of the inter-related processes of performing, devising and evaluating
- Can comprehend the concept of the ‘practitioner’ and successfully evaluate works of drama using that understanding
- Study drama from across the world and make connections between time, place and culture
- Have opportunities to engage in drama’s unique creative contribution to our shared culture, society, and economy
- Have additional opportunities to enhance their own talents through their own dramatic learning
KEY STAGE 3
At Key Stage Three (KS3) drama focusses on the deliberate development of all the knowledge and skills it takes to be a practitioner. Pupils do learning about a broad range of dramatic styles including: non-verbal communication, Shakespeare, drama as a stimulus for PSHE, physical theatre, naturalism, scriptwriting, musical theatre, epic theatre, in-depth character development, and verbatim theatre BUT as in music, our primary focus is the deliberate development of a pupil’s ability to:
create drama in a variety of styles drawing on appropriate techniques
perform with confidence in different styles and as different characters convincingly
respond to feedback, and be able to give effective feedback to others
enjoy drama for its own sake and appreciate performances for a child’s own joy!
Drama is taught through year 7, 8, and 9 and pupils have two lessons over their two week timetable. It is valued as a practical and academic subject. Our focus when teaching is always to try and teach drama dramatically, meaning that our greatest emphasis is on a pupils practical learning in their creating, performing, and responding. All pupils should feel like they are learning through their experience of drama. We do assess all of these elements formally but our greater focus is on the ongoing feedback dialogue with pupils to differentiate and support them appropriately to a point where pupils feel like their learning is personalised.
Drama lessons are taught in either the Hall or the purpose-built drama studio.
KEY STAGE 4
At Key Stage 4 Drama is taught at GCSE level and follows the Edexcel syllabus. Students are assessed on both their practical work and on a written exam. Our GCSE students are required to perform two major pieces of performance work, a devised performance and a scripted play. In the devised component the students create and perform their own unique piece of Drama as well as documenting the rehearsal process. The scripted component requires the students to rehearse and perform two extracts from a published play to a visiting examiner. Finally, the written exam tests the students’ knowledge of Drama terminology and their evaluation of a play that they have seen. Our current set text is ‘An Inspector Calls’ which is also part of their English qualification.
EXAM SPECIFICATIONS
CURRICULUM LEADER
Mr C Reed
WHAT CAREER?
ACTOR
STAGE MANAGER
LIGHTING DESIGNER
DRAMA FACILITATOR
CHOREOGRAPHER
PRODUCER
RADIO BROADCASTER
MARKETING MANAGER
ARTS ADMINISTRATOR
TELEVISION PRESENTER
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER