Drama

Curriculum Aims: Drama

The key aims in drama are to provide every young person with a skill set which allows them to enhance their imagination, creative thinking and performing in a safe and supportive environment. Regardless of background, ethnicity and gender, our ability to create and tell stories is what makes us human. Therefore, the exploration and enhancement of performance skills is essential in drama. Through guidance and support we explore the use of physicality and voice as well as more intricate skills such as the art of listening on stage to create real and developed interactions. Drama also has links to the world outside the classroom and equips young people with personal life skills for them to succeed. Empathy, negotiation skills and teamwork are at the heart of the subject and ensures that drama is not taught in a vacuum but instead helps to enhance essential life skills. Through the exploration of a wide range of cultural and historical topics, our young people have an opportunity to challenge and question the world around them thus enabling them to realize their God given mission by discovering who they are and what they can become.

Curriculum Features:

The curriculum has been formed to build on the pupils’ knowledge from KS3 through to KS5. This is done to provide transferable skills to KS3 pupils who might end their journey with the subject at the end of year 9 and to also ensure a solid knowledge base for those continuing their studies at KS4 and 5. The curriculum has also been designed with both practical and theoretical aspects in mind. This is to ensure that the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ that we create is explored just as much as the ‘what’. At KS3 we focus on a specific topic or skill within each unit of work. These include studying the drama strategies such as still images, split scenes and narration which underpin all of our work in all key stages, the consideration of tone, the exploration of historical and topical events, styles of theatre and script work. Each activity is specifically identified under Attainment 1= Speaking and Listening, Attainment 2= Reading and Attainment 3= Writing in accordance with English in the National Curriculum. Progress is measured in relation to Creating, Performing and Responding. Each unit of work begins with a practical exploration of the new topic and culminates in a group performance and reflective evaluation in order to gauge pupil understanding and performance skills development. The enhancement of interpersonal skills also has significant importance. These are referred to as the ‘6 C’s’ namely confidence, cooperation, commitment, contribution, communication and concentration and are identified in lesson one of Year 7 and revisited during each unit of work in order to monitor development in these areas. At KS4 and 5, a number of integral dramatic forms and concepts are revisited as part of a spiral curriculum in accordance with the Edexcel exam board at GCSE and A Level. Students also study the work of different theatre practitioners such as Stanislavski, Artaud and Brecht, analyse published plays and more technical aspects of production. A more detailed study of the use of voice and movement also takes place to enable the development of individual performance skills, which are showcased in our public, examination performances. We pride ourselves on our connections with the pupils and students. The very nature of the subject allows for explorative discussions, the sharing of thoughts and ideas and also the chance to truly escape into our own creative world. We push our students to test the boundaries of what is achievable in performance and to constantly question the role of theatre.

Co-Curricular Experiences:

The drama department is very focused on providing a range of extra-curricular opportunities for students and pupils. These aim to build upon skills learnt in the classroom but to also enhance their sense of belonging within the school. Weekly Drama Club sessions take place for pupils and students of all ages and culminates in a summer showcase of their work to an audience of invited friends and family. The annual, whole school musical enables students to audition and perform as part of an eclectic cast and in turn, provides a glimpse of professional performing standards and expectations. As well as theatre trips throughout the year, we have a number of links with professional theatre companies who visit to perform and conduct workshops. These not only enhance the work of students but provide a tangible link to the professional performing world. Drama practice is also cross curricular and is present in the teaching of more established subjects. Strategies such as Role Play, Hot Seating and creative problem solving are often visible in subjects such as History and English to help bring the subject to life. 

What follows is a current summary of the intended subject curriculum content in each year of the key stage.  It highlights the key knowledge and skills intended for learning, and some of the ways progress in the curriculum is to be assessed.  It clarifies the key questions students should be addressing and gives links to help students and families to develop this learning further.