| |
Name |
| Subject Leader Drama |
Mrs E Warner |
| Drama Teachers |
Miss C Derham
Mr Scott
Mrs K Turvey
|
Drama is a creative subject that gives students the opportunity to explore texts, concepts, human behaviours and historical events through practical exploration and analysis. In Drama lessons students devise, perform and evaluate drama, showing an understanding of the use of space, staging, costume, lighting and sound, all whilst applying their understanding of voice, body language and gesture. The subject enables students to develop important skills such as teamwork, creativity, communication and critical evaluation.
Please see our learning journey for a visual representation of the curriculum.
Enrichment and extracurricular activities
The Performing Arts Department regularly arrange theatre visits to the West End and more local theatres. A selection of recent productions visited include Blood Brothers, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Frankenstein, ‘Paperbirds’ Thirsty and The Play that went Wrong. We also invite outside theatres companies such as ‘StagEd’ in to run workshops with our KS4 students, where they take part in acting masterclasses in characterisation.
We run weekly lunchtime Drama Clubs for all year groups and have an annual school show. In previous years we have performed We Will Rock You, Les Miserables, Billy Elliot, Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat, to name but a few. We have also worked with the National Theatre to put on a ‘Connections’ production of The Changing Room. All students are encouraged to take part in our school productions, whether that be through acting, as musicians, backstage crew or set or costume design.
Students in KS3 receive one Drama lesson per week. During this hour, students begin the lesson by warming up ready to practically explore the lesson objectives. Once the key concepts for the lesson are shared, discussed and considered verbally, students then practically examine the objectives, perhaps through some individual improvisation, by working in pairs to devise a piece of drama or perhaps by working in a small group to perform a short extract from a script. Students then regularly perform their work to their peers and to their teacher to receive formative feedback and, where appropriate, are given time to make improvements. At the end of every half term students perform and receive summative assessment feedback, which informs future lessons and supports each student to achieve their very best.
Drama at KS4 is an option subject. Students choosing to study Drama at KS4 have five lessons a fortnight. Through these lessons students cover the three components required for the AQA GCSE Drama examination (http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/drama/gcse/drama-8261). In addition, students are given the opportunity to attend theatre visits and workshops in order to deepen their understanding of Drama.
Component 1:
40% - Drama written paper - This is a 1 hour 45 minute exam sat at the end of Year 11. The exam paper is broken into three sections:
- Multiple choice questions demonstrating knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre, for example stage layout and theatre roles and responsibilities (5% of component 1)
- Questions on a set text (Blood Brothers by Willy Russell), which would have been studied throughout the course (55% of component 1)
- Analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers – essentially a theatre review (40% of component 1)
Component 2:
30% - Devising log – This is a written document in which students detail both the process of devising their drama and analyse and evaluate their own work
10% - Performance of devised piece of theatre - Performance of a piece of drama devised by students
Component 3:
20% Scripted performance - Performance of two extracts from one play that differs to the play studied in Component 1. The chosen extract for performance is carefully matched to each individual student in order to provide them with the role best suited to them. Performances will last roughly 5 minutes per person in the group
