INTRODUCTION
In Drama students have the opportunity to explore the subject practically taught by specialist teachers. The curriculum in drama is designed for students to be creative and curious learners which also develops skills such as confidence, team work helping the students to become well balanced young people.
Students take part in practical subjects where students learn the origins of drama and theatre as we know it today, they explore plays, take on characters, devise own characters and plays, create and recreate and perform for an audience. They also examine what makes a good performance and analyse solo and ensemble performances and how characters are communicated throughout.
The drama curriculum aims to equip our students to become independent learners whilst delivering an engaging and relevant curriculum which is interesting and thought provoking. It is designed so that students can develop the skills they currently have and learn new skills which will benefit them beyond the classroom.
In Key Stage 3 students will develop a range of skills which are based in performance and devising. They will also complete appreciation tasks which help develop their understanding of performance skills and communicative skills such as use of space and body and also costume, props and set and what an actor wants to communicate to an audience using these elements.
At KS3 the students take part in a ‘drama basics’ unit which looks at developing their basic skills and their ability to work independently and in a group. They then move on to exploring stories such as Roald Dahl’s ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Matilda’. The students also cover other literary texts such as ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. They also look at genres such as Silent movies and Silent comedy, Shakespeare, films such as Harry Potter and themes such as Social Media.
At KS4 students can choose Drama as an option and will build on their basic knowledge and gain more depth of understanding of the subject. They look at monologues, a range of texts and also focus on enhancing their performance skills.
The students complete a VCERT (vocational) certificate in Performance Skills where they develop their understanding of working in the Performing Arts. They will sit an exam at the start of Year 11 (unit 1) which is worth 40% of their overall grade. Then they begin work on Unit 2, ‘Preparing to Perform’. In this unit they will prepare an ensemble performance and a solo performance (monologue) for an audience. They will do this in response to an assignment brief (set by the exam board). They will then plan and prepare all aspects of their performance from costume needs to administration and planning such as carrying out risk assessments and finding a suitable venue. The course offers a very hands-on approach to experiencing working in the Performing Arts Industry. It requires the students to be able to work well in a group and individually, be reliable, committed and imaginative.
Students will study:
Drama Basics
Ronald Dahl stories, Shakespeare, Harry Potter
Drama Basics (recap)
The Chronicles of Narnia
Silent Movies and Silent Comedy
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Mugged by Andrew Payne
DNA by Dennis Kelly
Understanding roles and responsibilities of the performance industry
Understanding National Organisations
Understand how performance are promoted
Understanding production planning
Understanding rehearsal process
Mock Exam
Unit 1 exam – Working in the Performing Arts Industry
Unit 2 – Planning and Performing
Understanding how to respond to a live performance brief
Understanding pre-production and production roles
Understanding rehearsal and development of material
Understanding how to present to an audience
Understand how to review a live performance
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