Year 7

Year 7 students are introduced to the creative and academic expectations that successful Drama lessons require. With a focus on practical exploration, teamwork, confidence and evaluation, the lessons ensure all students have the knowledge, understanding and performance skills to succeed. Students embark on a journey through the history of theatre beginning with Ancient Greek Theatre and the earliest origins of theatre as we know it today. Students then explore the skills and characters of Commedia Dell’Arte and then the classic Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet and how this play relates to contemporary society.

Further to this, students will also have the opportunity to take part in theatre training in the United Kingdom and overseas and be part of the annual school musical.

Year 8

Year 8 Drama builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills gained in Year 7. The journey through the history of theatre continues with theoretical and practical exploration of Victorian Melodrama, Naturalism/Realism & Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre. Embedded within the curriculum are key employability skills such as teamwork, leadership and communication.

Further to this, students will also have the opportunity to take part in theatre training in the United Kingdom and overseas and be part of the annual school musical.

During Year 9 all students will follow a research and performance-based exploration of Japanese Theatre. Developing separately to Western theatre, Japanese Noh, Bunraku and Kabuki Theatre are exciting and uniquely different to theatre as we know it. Students will learn the history, the theory and the performance/design skills of Japanese Theatre culminating in an assessed project and performance. This exploration embeds the core skills of Performance, Analysis and Evaluation essential for success if GCSE Drama is taken as an option in Year 10.

Further to this, students will have the opportunity to work with younger students to share their expertise in drama and theatre and develop communication and leadership skills. Students will also have the opportunity to take part in theatre training in the United Kingdom and overseas and be part of the annual school musical.

Optional – Arts Award Bronze (Level 1 National Qualification)

Students considering GCSE Drama as an option in Year 10 are invited to take their Arts Award Bronze qualification. Arts Award runs during Year 9 Drama Club.

Arts Award Bronze is a Level One National qualification that gives students the opportunity to use and be assessed in the key drama skills they are learning and develop the essential skills required for GCSE Drama.

The Arts Award qualification has five key aims:

1. Participation – Arts Award encourages young people to develop an interest in and participation in arts, media and cultural activities
2. Talent – Arts Award supports young people’s creative development and nurture talent
3. Stretch & New Experiences – Arts Award compliments and extends the arts and cultural experiences young people have with formal education
4. Teamwork & Leadership – Arts Award provides opportunities for collaborative work and leadership which promotes young people’s personal development
5. Research & Pathways – Arts Award provides opportunities for young people to research and identify progression routes in the arts and cultural sectors.

Further information can be found at www.artsaward.org.uk

Exam Board: Pearson/Edexcel GCSE Drama

The demands of the GCSE course are such that students will be expected to attend the theatre at least six times over the two years. Further to this, students will have the opportunity to work with younger students to share their expertise in drama and theatre and develop communication and leadership skills. Students will also have the opportunity to take part in theatre training in the United Kingdom and overseas and be part of the annual school musical.

Year 10

During Year 10, students are introduced to the “ingredients of Drama”. The focus is on 21^st Century theatre and learning centres on the role of the Performer, Designer and Director from a theoretical and practical perspective. Alongside this introductory work, students learn and apply the required skills to access the expectations and assessment criteria of Component 1 which is completed by the end of Year 10

Component 1: Devising

40% of the qualification – 60 marks

Content overview

• Create and develop a devised piece from a stimulus
• Performance of this devised piece or design realisation for this performance.
• Analyse and evaluate the devising process and performance
• Performer or designer routes available.

Year 11

Year 11 focuses entirely on the skills, knowledge and understanding for success in Component 2 & Component 3:

 

Component 2: Performance from Text

20% of the qualification – 48 marks

Content overview

• Students will either perform in and/or design for two key extracts from a performance text.
• Performer or designer routes available.
• Externally assessed by a visiting examiner.

 

Component 3: Theatre Makers in Practice

Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

40% of the qualification – 60 marks

Content overview

• Practical exploration and study of one complete performance text
• Live theatre evaluation

Further information can be found at https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/drama-2016.html

Exam Board: Pearson/Edexcel A Level Drama & Theatre

The demands of the A Level course are such that students will be expected to attend the theatre at least eight times over the two years. Further to this, students will have the opportunity to work with younger students to share their expertise in drama and theatre and develop communication and leadership skills. Students will also have the opportunity to take part in theatre training in the United Kingdom and overseas and be part of the annual school musical.

Year 12

Building on the core learning from GCSE, Year 12 extends and embeds the activities of exploring plays, creating theatre, the performing of plays, the analysis of theatre and the critical evaluation of all of these elements. Alongside this, students learn and apply the required skills to access the expectations and assessment criteria of Component 1 which is completed by the end of Year 12.

 

Component 1: Devising

40% of the qualification

80 marks

Content overview

• Devise an original performance piece.
• Use one key extract from a performance text and a theatre practitioner as stimuli.
• Student and Teacher choice of text and practitioner.
• Performer or designer routes available.

 

Year 13

Year 13 focuses entirely on the skills, knowledge and understanding for success in Component 2 & Component 3:

Component 2: Text in Performance

20% of the qualification

60 marks

Content overview

• A group performance/design realisation of one key extract from a performance text.
• A monologue or duologue performance/design realisation from one key extract from a different performance text.
• Student & Teacher choice of performance texts.
• Externally assessed by a visiting examiner.

 

Component 3:

Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes

40% of the qualification

80 marks

Content overview

• Live theatre evaluation – choice of performance.
• Practical exploration and study of a complete text – focusing on how this can be realised for performance.
• Practical exploration and interpretation of another complete performance text, in light of a chosen practitioner – focusing on how this text could be reimagined for a contemporary audience.

 

Further information can be found at https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/drama-and-theatre-2016.html