Drama
Year 7
The focus will be on developing students’ ability to work in groups, articulate themselves, to gain empathy and to take part in and facilitate discussion. These are skills they will need throughout their education. More subject-specific students will develop their abilities in analysing text, creating and performing characters and evaluating their own work and the work of others through a range of themes and topics such as ‘Darkwood Manor’ and ‘Silent Movies’.
Year 8
We continue to develop students’ abilities to work in groups, articulate themselves, to gain empathy and to take part in and facilitate discussion. Students use the topics of World War II, Brazilian Street Children and Cyber bullying to build and perform believable characters, create theatre and develop social, political, historical and cultural connections and awareness.
Year 9
Having chosen Drama as a GCSE subject, the year is spent building on previous learning, preparing students’ knowledge and understanding of the six areas of study as a deviser, designer, director and performer. Students also take part in ‘mini exam style projects’ to prepare for Year 10.
Year 10
During Year 10 students study the following topics; Script, Improvisation and Design. The theme of Theatre in Education is used to devise and perform pieces of drama for a chosen audience range. This forms part of a mock unit – drama in the making. During the summer term students take their Unit 2 exam ‘Page to Stage’ which sees students studying a whole text and performing scenes from it. This forms 30% of the final GCSE grade.
Year 11
Students complete their Unit 2 exam ‘Drama in the Making’ devising and performing theatre from a given theme – this contributes to 30% of the final GCSE grade. In the spring term students complete their Unit 3 ‘Concept to Creation’. Work is created or designed from a theme and script given by the exam board. This is externally assessed by an examiner and accounts for 40% of the final GCSE grade. Students need to complete a working record for all units and are expected to attend lesson 6.