Drama - Curriculum Intent

Vision

Drama is used an important means of stimulating creativity, within this it can often challenge students perception about their world and about themselves. Drama can be used to provide students with an outlet for emotions, thoughts, and dreams that they might not otherwise have means to express. Within the subject of drama a student can become another, explore a new role, try out and experiment with various personal choices and create solutions to very real problems. Drama has many transferable skills, it allows students to communicate with and understand others in new ways. Pupils learn to work together and co-operate, listening to others ideas to create the best overall outcome. Drama can support and encourage pupils to speak in public and be more persuasive in their arguments. It often develops the skills of self-control and discipline that serve pupils well in all aspects of school life. Finally drama can help build responsible global citizens by developing the skills of empathy and tolerance by inhabiting other characters to fully understand their point of view and seeing the world through another person’s eyes.

Key Stage 3

The drama department works with high expectations to develop the confidence and individuality of pupils and enable them to present and perform high quality performance work in a happy, supportive and motivated environment. Pupils have weekly lessons where skills are developed and linked to create a final performance piece. The drama department strives to ensure pupils have a broad and balanced curriculum with a variety of focus points, including performing, evaluating and communication. This is designed to help pupils with all elements of their schooling, not just to prepare them for a GCSE in this subject. Pupils are encouraged to achieve and progress and are made aware of this by assessment of class, home and performance work. In year 7 pupils learn basic dramatic technique and language. They are introduced to some key genres and styles of theatre such as Melodrama, Theatre in Education and Mime. Pupils start to develop an understanding of professional works and use scripted extracts to explore staging and characters. In year 8 pupils develop their knowledge of scripts and how to use them. They look specifically at stage directions and how to use and write these effectively. Pupils build on what they have learnt to create work with a clear moral message through a ‘Don’t drink and drive advert’. They also develop their knowledge of different types of drama by studying verbatim theatre. In year 9 pupils study the plays DNA and Woman in Black, these very different scripts give them a clear insight into character development and how to create tension on stage. They analyse and evaluate these plays using key dramatic vocabulary and directorial ideas.

Key Stage 4

At G.C.S.E pupils are encouraged to use the skills they have learnt in KS3 to create and develop their own work. They will build on the creating strand of drama which has been embedded through practical lessons at key stage 3. The development at key stage 4 is that pupils will look at progressive topics and styles to further challenge and enhance their knowledge of dramatic form. This is done primarily through devising where pupils are provided with a range of thought provoking stimuli to create work that both stretches and challenges the pupils through theme and content. Pupils will use the basic performance skills they have learnt and key stage 3 adding in influences from practitioners such as Brecht, Stanislavski and Frantic assembly. Alongside their devised performance they must use the analytical and evaluative skills in every unit at Key stage 3, to complete a log book that documents the devising process. From work at Key stage 3 pupils are prepared for analysing their own performance and will use this at G.C.S.E to explain and evaluate decisions they have made. At key stage 3 pupils study a range of texts and styles and this builds and continues at G.C.S.E, pupils will leave year 11 having studied and performed in a variety of different texts from different genres and styles including comedy, abstract work and naturalism. From their work at key stage 3 pupils have developed a range of performance skills and can use their actions and voice to create clear and consistent characters. These performance skills become the foundation for pupils to understand and interpret the meaning of a range of texts and demonstrate this understanding in performance work. Finally pupils are encouraged to immerse themselves in the subject by watching live performances. From this their analytical skills will evolve and they will be able to respond to the demands of the written exam. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning through organising and attending rehearsals and sharing performances both in the school and wider community. Skills learnt through G.C.S.E Drama will allow pupils to develop performance skills, the ability to think and work independently, make judgements, analyse work and communicate with a variety of different people to create work and share ideas.