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Hillcrest School

& Sixth Form Centre

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

Ernie’s Script:
Students will explore the play ’Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’ by Alan Ayckbourn focusing on key techniques such as narration, freeze frames, soundscapes and physical theatre.  They will work with the opening scene 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:
Introduction to William Shakespeare and a few of his plays – Hamlet, Seven Ages of Man, Midsummer Night’s Dream, 

  • Learn Shakespeare language

  • Apply skills learnt in unit 1 & 2 to devised tasks

  • Experience a fight scene

  • Apply drama techniques

  • Script work

  • Problem solving

  • 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 8 

Term 1

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’
Term 2

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.
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: MISS L TAYLOR– 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 

Practical (60%)

Component 1 – Devising

40% of the qualification – 60 marks

Create, develop and perform a devised piece from a stimulus. Analyse and evaluate the devising process and the performance.

Component 2 – Performance From Text

20% of the qualification – 48 marks

Two separate performances from a script covering two key extracts.

Written Exam (40%)

Component 3 – Theatre Makers in Practice

Written examination: 1 hour 30 mins (40% of the qualification – 60 marks)

Section A – Bringing Texts to Life – 45 marks

This section consists of one question broken into six parts (short and extended responses) based on an unseen extract from the chosen performance text.

Section B – Live Theatre Evaluation – 15 marks

This section consists of two questions requiring you to analyse and evaluate a live theatre performance they have seen. Students are allowed to take in theatre evaluation notes up to 500 words.

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. 

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