Drama

Students are taught drama skills through a thematic approach in Key Stage 3 (Year 7, 8 and 9). There are 3 strands of skills; creating, performing and evaluating. Each scheme of learning allows students opportunity to develop the skills within each strand
Year 7
The topics followed are: Darkwood Manor, Silent Movies, Refugees, Ernie and his Incredible Illucinations
(Scripted), Superheroes.
Year 8
The topics followed are: Dilemmas, Aging in the Community, Let him have it, Our Day Out (Scripted),
Ben: Bullying and runaways.
Year 9
The topics followed are: The Stones, DNA (Scripted) and I don’t like Mondays
Years 10 and 11
KS4 students study either Edexcel Drama GCSE or BTEC First Award (Level 2) in Performing Arts
DRAMA GCSE
- Component One: Devising 40% (60 marks)
- Performance of this devised piece
- Analyse and evaluate the devising process and performance.
- Internally assessed, externally moderated
- Component 2: Performance from Text 20% (48 marks)
- Students perform two key extracts live to examiner.
- Externally assessed
- Component 3: Theatre Makers in Practice 40% (60 marks)
- 1 hour written exam in two sections: Set text & Live theatre evaluation
Externally Assessed – Core skills taught:
- The ability to recognise and understand the roles and responsibilities of performer, designer and director
- The study and exploration of texts and extracts include the relevant social, historical and cultural contexts
- The ability to analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others
- The ability to understand how performance texts can be interpreted and performed.
- The Drama GCSE qualification is 70% written, it is an academic GCSE that hugely supports English Literature study. The Drama GCSE prepares students to study Theatre Studies at A Level and further study.
BTEC FIRST AWARD
The qualification provides students with a broad foundation which will help enable 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 business to performance, and it has a specific focus on acting.
Students study real-life, work-based case studies and complete projects and assessments, which contribute to achieving each unit studied. In order to complete each unit, students must achieve against a
set of outcomes. The assessment criteria address theory with practical exercises. The assessment process is on-going, so it allows the student to analyse and improve their own performance through their
course in much the same way as they would in a real workplace.
The projects that students undertake form the basis of their unit results which are graded as a Pass, a Merit, a Distinction or a Distinction *. In the externally assessed Unit, students prepare and perform in 2 performances and a written piece in controlled conditions, that is then marked by an external examiner.
- Students will study the following units:
- Individual Showcase: Performance and letter of application
- Externally assessed
- Preparation, Performance and Production:
- Students produce and perform in their own production
- Internally assessed
- Acting Skills: Vocal and physical skill based workshops and performances
- Internally assessed