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Drama

Drama is a subject that allows students to express themselves in a safe and inviting environment filled with positivity.

 

Curriculum Information

Drama Curriculum

Key Stage 3

Year 7

Year 7 start their drama course by studying important key skills and performance techniques, learning how to devise and create a character, structure performances and evaluate work. Next, they will use William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ as inspiration for a journey on a deserted island developing their techniques. They then have the opportunity to study World War II through the scripted play ‘Evacuees’. Ending the year focusing on theatre history as they look back in time at Ancient Greek Theatre, following the turbulent story of Athena and Arachne.

Year 8

Year 8 begins with students developing key skills and techniques with an initial focus on Aristotelian structures, followed by the historical events of the Titanic, taking students through a timeline of this great tragedy. Students will then get the opportunity to explore the intriguing script 'Sparkle Shark' and end Year 8 studying theatre history through the Shakespeare play ‘Macbeth’.

Year 9

In Year 9, we aim to encourage students to learn the skills needed at GCSE. We start with improvising and devising skills which explores a wide range of naturalistic and abstract ways of creating performance through studying influential drama practitioners such as, Konstantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht. Following this, we look at the exciting play 'Around the World in 80 Days and end the year consolidating students knowledge of skills, techniques, scripted work and appreciation. 

Throughout Key Stage Three, students will be assessed periodically on their practical work.

Key Stage 4 - Options Information

Exam board: AQA
Qualification: GCSE in Drama
Specification: AQA GCSE Drama

Assessment:

Students' devised performances and devising logs will be marked by their teacher in Year 10 and their scripted extracts will be marked by a visiting examiner in Year 11.

Students will sit the written exam at the end of the course and it will be externally marked by AQA.

Who is the course for?

This course would particularly suit those who have a keen interest in drama and would like to stretch themselves to learn more about new theatre and drama techniques. Students will need to enjoy both the performance and theory side of drama and be keen writers and critics.  

Students who want to study drama should be:

• Enthusiastic and full of energy
• Successful in co-operating in a variety of groups
• Able to share responsibility for rehearsing and performing their own drama
• A good writer who is keen to study plays and performances from an analytical perspective
• Able to reflect on their own work, and the work of others, in detail and with a critical awareness
• Reliable with excellent attendance, as a drama production can only be successful if everyone in a group attends throughout the preparation and performance periods.

What will I do on the course?

Practical exams (60%)

Students will be assessed on their ability to create and perform a piece of original devised work in a group that is developed from a variety of stimuli given by their teacher. Alongside this, students will have to keep a reflective devising log which describes, analyses and evaluates the development of their piece. Students will also have to rehearse and perform two extracts from a scripted text that shows careful consideration of character and context of the play.

Written exam (40%)

Students will sit a 1 hour and 45 minute written exam which is made up of three sections:

- Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre

- Study of one set play (we currently study Noughts & Crosses, adapted by Dominic Cooke)

- Analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers