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Drama

 Welcome to the Drama Department

"All the world’s a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed."  - Sean O’Casey

Head of Department:

Mrs Molloy
e-mail: lleigh2.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk

Key Stage 3

Drama is an interesting, creative and exciting subject which is taught to Park High Students at Key Stage Three, with the option to take GCSE Drama at Key Stage Four and A Level Drama and Theatre Studies at Key Stage Five. In Year 7, students are taught Drama on a bi-weekly basis (alternating with Dance) before gaining a lesson a week in Year 8. In Year 9, students decide whether they would like to continue their Drama study and if they choose to do so, have a double lesson each week.

Drama is rooted in the Performing Arts and students predominantly focus on developing their skills as a confident performer; working to have control of their voice, physicality, movement and interaction. These skills are vital as our young people grow and mature, allowing them to gain self-assurance across the curriculum and within themselves. Drama gives students the opportunity to become independent and group learners, with many lessons focussing on the creation of collaborative work. Students will also gain knowledge of the historical, social and political context of Drama, appreciating it as both an art form and one of academic study.

At its core, our Drama education aims to: 

  • Build confidence as a performer, creator and appreciator of dramatic art; 
    • apply knowledge and understanding when making, performing and responding to drama; 
    • explore performance texts, understanding their social, cultural and historical significance and developing cultural capital; 
  • develop a range of theatrical skills and apply them to create performance; 
  • work collaboratively to generate, develop and communicate ideas; 
  • contribute as an individual to a theatrical performance; 
  • reflect on and evaluate their own work and that of others; 
  • adopt safe working practices.; 

KS3 Drama curriculum is structured to enable students to develop their skills from beginner to highly competent, throughout the 3-year period. The ‘Introduction to Drama’ scheme lays the foundation of key dramatic skills, conventions and techniques. Learning these techniques allows students to structure a piece of drama for their first assessment. ‘Greek Theatre’ continues to develop student’s drama skills through working as an ensemble with both movement and voice. The scheme also allows students to find out the history of how theatre and plays began and study a traditional Greek Tragedy ‘Theseus and the Minatour’. Year 7 is completed with Commedia Dell’Arte, exploring how to perform in a comedic style whilst gaining knowledge and understanding of the historical development of drama.

In Year 8, we begin with an exploration of the style of Naturalism and Stanislavskyʼs system of acting, developing the key techniques of realism. We then move on to a study of Shakespeareʼs ʻRomeo and Julietʼ, allowing students to apply their naturalistic skills to a text whilst exploring stage combat. Epic Theatre is the natural follow-on to studying Stanislavski. Using Brechtian Theatre techniques, the students engage with how to create political theatre which forces an audience to question their own beliefs.

‘Face’ and ‘Evacuees’ are the subsequent schemes, both of which explore physical theatre and non-naturalistic ways of creating theatre. These schemes not only engage the students with script and character work but gives the students to opportunity to link Drama with events in History and emphases the importance of empathy. The final scheme gives the opportunity to use verbatim theatre, using the voices of those involved in the key British modern news and issues and nurturing the creativity of Year 8 students by allowing them to devise their own work from scratch. 

In Year 9, students are immersed in the study and practice of becoming an effective actor. We study stage command, characterisation, collaborative thinking, devising and creative theatre, aiming to give the students as many performance opportunities as possible to raise their experience level. This allows the students to develop the strong foundation they need to continue their studies at GCSE, where we study the EDUQAS syllabus. 

Year 7

In Drama pupils study skills based around group work, characterisation, and script exploration and devising.  Each half term is alternated with Dance in Year 7

Autumn Spring Summer

Introduction to Drama

Greek Theatre

Commedia Dell’Arte

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KS3 Assessment: 

Home learning is allocated on a half-termly basis within Dance and Drama. Year 7s are assessed throughout the year, within lessons, and with a final performance at the end of each scheme. These performances are expected to showcase the students’ best work and should be rehearsed outside of lesson time. Students are encouraged to take pride in their work and add costume, music and props/set where appropriate.

Year 8

Autumn Spring Summer

Romeo and Juliet

Epic Theatre

Evacuees’

Naturalism

Face

This term will also offer an opportunity for Year 8s to attend a theatre trip and/or a GCSE Taster workshop with a professional company.

Verbatim Theatre – The Riots – How to Devise Theatre

Knowledge Organisers:

You have not allowed cookies and this content may contain cookies.

If you would like to view this content please

KS3 Assessment:

Home learning is allocated on a half-termly basis within Dance and Drama. Year 8s are assessed throughout the year, within lessons, and with a final performance at the end of each scheme. These performances are expected to showcase the students’ best work and should be rehearsed outside of lesson time. Students are encouraged to take pride in their work and add costume, music and props/set where appropriate.

Year 9

Autumn Spring Summer

Introduction to GCSE Drama and exploring techniques ‘What is an Actor’?

Studying a text: DNA

Theatre in Education Project

Physical Theatre Practitioners

Live Theatre Review 

 

KS3 Assessment 

All students who follow this course will be given home learning weekly.  Students are assessed each term through performances and end of topic written assessments.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, written, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course.  Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

Useful Reading Material:

‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly

‘The Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre’ by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett

‘EDUQAS GCSE Drama: Unit 1 Devised Practical Performance’ by G. Nicholas

‘EDUCAS GCSE Drama’ by G. Nicholas

Key Stage 4

Drama can lead to an array of different careers, not just being an actor! Students who have studied Drama at GCSE and A Level have gone on to study Law, Business, English, Film Studies, Media, Journalism, Psychology, Sociology and Political Sciences. Drama also has key links to other subjects; namely Art, Dance, English, History, PSHCEE, Media, Languages and Business Studies. Students who have taken Drama for further study after Park High have gone on to a variety of professional conservatoires including Arts Educational Schools, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Central School of Speech and Drama.

We believe that Drama can support a wide range of career and subject choices due to the subjectsʼ extensive and broad topic base. Students who study Drama are more creative, confident, collaborative and analytical learners; skills which can be transferred across many subjects and which contribute positively to our school community.

Year 10

Autumn Spring Summer

Practical Exploration of Set Text DNA by Dennis Kelly (this will change to Find Me or Noughts and Crosses for examination from 2022.

Theatre Makers in Practice

Practitioners (Brecht and Artaud) and Live Theatre Review

Component 1: Devising

Creation of Dance and Drama Showcase pieces – mock Component 2

Practitioners (Brecht and Artaud) and Live Theatre Review

Component 1: Devising

KS4 Assessment 

All students who follow this course will be given home learning weekly.  Students are assessed each term through performances and end of topic written assessments.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, written, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course.  Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

Examination Board:

EDUQAS

Useful Reading Material:

‘EDUQAS GCSE Drama: Unit 1 Devised Practical Performance’ by G. Nicholas

‘EDUCAS GCSE Drama’ by G. Nicholas

‘Theatre in Practice: A Students’ Handbook’ by N. O Brien

DNA by Dennis Kelly

‘The Complete Brecht Toolkit’ by S. Urmin

‘The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit’ B. Merlin

New Grade 9-1 GCSE Drama Revision Guide by CGP Books

New Grade 9-1 GCSE Drama Play Guide – DNA by CGP Books

‘The Theatre and It’s Double’ Antonin Artaud

Year 11

Autumn Spring Summer

Completion of Component 1 – devised performance, portfolios and controlled assessment evaluation

Component 2 – Performing from a Script

Component 3 Revision

Component 3 Revision 

Completion of Component 1 – devised performance, portfolios and controlled assessment evaluation

DNA and Live Theatre (Component 3) revision

Component 2 – Performing from a Script

Component 3 Revision

 

KS4 Assessment 

All students who follow this course will be given home learning weekly.  Students are assessed each term through performances and end of topic written assessments

In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, written, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course.  Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

GCSE Drama consists of three components:

Component 1: Devising (40%)

The devised performance (practical) will be performed during the Autumn Term. The 950-word written portfolio is also completed during this time with an additional 1hr 30m controlled assessment evaluation which takes place during lesson time after the final performance. All of the work for Component 1 is assessed internally and is externally moderated by EDUCAS

Component 2: Performance of a Script (20%)

This component is externally examined by a visiting examiner during the Spring Term.

Component 3: The Written Paper (40%)

Written examination 1 hour and 30 minutes 40%

Examination Board :

Eduqas

Course Specification:

Eduqas GCSE Drama 601/8420/6  

Qualification obtained:

GCSE Drama

Additional Information

Useful Reading Material

‘EDUQAS GCSE Drama: Unit 1 Devised Practical Performance’ by G. Nicholas

‘EDUCAS GCSE Drama’ by G. Nicholas

‘Theatre in Practice: A Students’ Handbook’ by N. O Brien

DNA by Dennis Kelly

‘The Complete Brecht Toolkit’ by S. Urmin

‘The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit’ B. Merlin

New Grade 9-1 GCSE Drama Revision Guide by CGP Books

New Grade 9-1 GCSE Drama Play Guide – DNA by CGP Books

New Grade 9-1 GCSE Drama Revision Guide

‘The Theatre and It’s Double’ Antonin Artaud