Drama
KEY STAGE 3 CURRICULUM
Students follow a programme of study which enables them to pursue Drama at Key Stages 4 and 5.
The Department of Drama strives to stimulate the imagination of our students; to motivate them to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and to encourage self-confidence and clarity in life goals. We work to enfold our students into, and instil in them a respect for the theatre, entertainment, and the arts, in order to be able to react and engage in contemporary society. We help our students develop an ability to communicate on the page and on their feet, verbally and physically. We teach them the importance of responsibility for themselves and for the community; that theatre imitates life and thus helps them to gain a better understanding of the world in which we live in..
Year 7
| Term 1 |
Introduction to Drama: Base line activities and team building activities, including assessment of making, performing and responding to creative tasks. Students will be introduced to the basic skills of drama and use these to create their own short piece. They will perform this as part of their end of unit assessment. Progress made will be evidenced in the students ‘Drama Progress Booklets’. |
| Term 2 |
Pantomime: Students explore Pantomime. At the end of the project students perform some scenes from Cinderella from a script. They use freeze frame, improvisation, spotlighting, blocking and perform showing a knowledge of stock characters and ability to use technical effects. Progress made will be evidenced in the students ‘Drama Progress Booklets’ Ours Day Out Script: Students will explore the play ‘Our Day Out’ by Willy Russell focusing on key techniques such as narration, freeze frames, soundscapes and physical theatre. They will work with focused scenes from the script and turn it into a short performance. Progress made will be evidenced in the students ‘Drama Progress Booklets’. |
| Term 3 |
Introduction to Shakespeare: Brief Summary:
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Year 8
| Term 1 |
Theatre Review Students will watch a piece of theatre and be able to review elements such as costume, lighting, sound, set and acting. They should be able to discuss a variety of aspects of one production giving a personal analysis and evaluation of the theatrical elements and how successfully meaning was communicated to the audience. Students are assessed on their knowledge and understanding of the subject content as well as their analytical and evaluative skills. |
| Term 2 | DNA Script: Students will explore the play ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly focusing on the purpose of the play, themes, directors choices, acting skills and characterisation. They will work initially on understanding the plot then explore this practically performing a scene for assessment. |
| Term 3 |
Crime: · Exploring a hot topic in Birmingham (true story) · Explore drama techniques · Stereotypical assumptions about criminals · A character’s motivations · Non-verbal communication between people · Marking the Moment · Spontaneous improvisation and devising work · Continue developing understanding of the importance of constructive feedback and how to act on suggested improvements. · How to write a detailed evaluation of their own skills, using drama terminology. |
Year 9
| Term 1 |
Blood Brothers In this unit of work students will explore the plot and characters of the musical Blood Brothers – Willy Russell. Students will identify themes and reasons for the playwright’s decisions. They will apply this knowledge to explore parts of the script practically and perform for assessment. |
| Term 2 |
Theory Students will look at exam style questions applying previous knowledge learnt. This will include – · Stage types · Advantages and disadvantages of stage types · Theatre roles · Stage directions · Blood Brothers |
| Term 3 |
Devising with a Stimulus Students will explore a given stimulus (visual/textual/tactile). Taking inspiration from this, they will explore the stimulus through research and then create a short piece of drama that portrays key elements of the stimulus. Students will perform this as part of their end of unit assessment. Progress made will be evidenced in the students ‘Drama Progress Booklets’. |
Key Stage 4 Curriculum
GCSE DRAMA OPTION SUBJECT
COURSE CONTACT: Mrs L Taylor-Stupple– LEARNING MANAGER
Course Content
Over the 3 year course students will:
Understand Drama: Explore different genres, understand performance conventions, understand how meaning is communicated to an audience, use appropriate drama terminology, understand how plays are constructed, explore drama in a social, cultural and historical context.
Perform Drama: Improvise, create a role, remain in a role, develop performance skills, perform scripted plays, and respond to direction.
Devise Drama: Work collaboratively and creatively, establish a dramatic intention, develop a dramatic intention, develop reflective and evaluative skills.
Assessment Details
Component 1 – Understanding Drama
Written examination: 1 hour 45 mins (40% of the qualification – 80 marks)
Section A – Multiple Choice – 4 marks
Section B – 4 questions on Blood Brothers – 44 marks
Section C – Live Theatre Review – 32 marks
Component 2 – Devising
40% of the qualification – 60 marks
Devised Performance – 20 marks
Written essays – 20 marks each (three essays)
Create, develop and perform a devised piece from a stimulus. Analyse and evaluate the devising process and the performance.
Component 3 – Texts in Practise
20% of the qualification – 40 marks
Two separate performances from a script covering two key extracts
Why Study This Course?
Students who enjoy performing as they will develop both expressive and physical skills in a range of dramatic genres. Students who enjoy working with others and developing transferable skills such as communication skills, organisation skills, analytical skills and problem-solving skills. Students who may want to work in the Performing Arts business as they will gain insight into Arts Administration, Theatre Production and Theatrical Supplies. Leading on to AS/A2 and BTEC courses at KS5 within the Oaks Collegiate.
Drama Reading List