Students are taught drama skills through a thematic approach in Key Stage 3. There are four strands of skills: Devising, Vocal, Physical and Technical. Each scheme of learning affords students the opportunity to develop the skills within each strand.

Key Stage 3

Year 7Year 8Year 9
Darkwood Manor (Devising)
Miranda Zupp (Technical)
Blood Brothers (Vocal)
The Island (Vocal)
Greek Theatre (Physical)
Ageing in the Community (Devising)
DNA (Vocal)
Let Him Have It (Physical)
I Don’t Like Mondays (Devising)
Chatroom (Vocal)
The Stones (Physical)

BTEC Award (Level 2) in Performing Arts (Key Stage 4)

The qualification provides students with a broad foundation, which supports them to proceed into further training or education, or to consider employment in the performing arts world. The course aims to give a practical understanding of what a career in the performing arts world can entail, from the business side, to performance. (There is a specific focus on acting.)

Students study real-life, work-based case studies and complete projects and assessments for each unit of studied. The assessment process is on-going, so it allows the students to analyse and improve their own performance through their course in much the same way as they would in a real workplace.

Component 1: Exploring the performing artsComponent 2: Developing skills and techniquesComponent 3: Responding to a brief
Investigating how professional performance work is created and demonstrating the skills used to create this work.

Internally assessed
Using rehearsal or production/design processes, applying skills and techniques in performance, and reviewing development.

Internally assessed
Performance responding to a brief and evaluation of the development process.

Externally assessed