Drama
Curriculum Intent - Drama:
Our drama curriculum is a map and the routes through it are the individual journeys the students find and explore. It teaches the individual to bring something of themselves to each challenge, to build a love of performance in its widest sense and to imagine and create at every opportunity. As the Arts Council England state in ‘Drama: a guide for governing boards’, “Schools remain the single most important place where students can access great cultural experiences” and this is a responsibility that is constantly shaping our curriculum.
The drama curriculum begins by acknowledging extremely varied starting points for our students. It aims to support them in finding the route on the map that will develop their confidence, self-awareness and respect. It provides a structure for embedding key concepts along the way, experimenting with dramatic technique and style, working to turn their creativity into a reality in performance and realising the process of attaining excellence.
A clear focus on our concepts: ‘Make, Perform, Respond, Audience, Style, Confidence’ drives every aspect of the curriculum from years 7 – 13. These concepts are also evident in every lesson to allow students to create with purpose and awareness of dramatic intention. Developing well-organised and scaffolded learning opportunities within each lesson motivates positive behaviours for learning and relationships within each class – subsequently providing a safe, respectful environment where students can explore new ways to present new ideas.
The curriculum is designed to build the skills necessary for success at A level and beyond. It aims to support students as professionals in training through a spiral that consolidates and introduces physical and vocal skills' development as well as exploration of text and live performance.
WATCH
Through watching professional / teacher led examples of performance styles, students will develop skills in analysis as well as finding inspiration for their own work.
MAKE
Students will experiment with techniques and styles, working as part of a directing and acting team to create performances from scratch and from scripts. Through rehearsals, students will build confidence in their abilities which filters into ‘performance ready confidence’.
PERFORM
Students will learn to perform in a range of styles, using techniques that are appropriate to their dramatic intentions.
RESPOND
Students will learn to comment positively on performance work – looking for success in the detail and learning to use subject specific vocabulary to add depth and purpose to their comments.
Drama Curriculum Overview
| Autumn | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Year 7 |
Knowledge and Awareness of audience, performance confidence and style. Introduction to and development of physical skill through Mime, Silent Movies as style. Devising as technique |
Knowledge and awareness of audience, performance confidence and style. Introduction to and development of vocal skills. Use of script as a tool and stage voice as technique. |
Synthesis of Devising as technique, vocal and physical skill and use of text in Devising unit. Response to stimulus – Refugees. Creative and leadership development. |
|
Year 8 |
Once a fortnight. Techniques for the stage workshops: Developing confidence and flair in use of key performance techniques for story telling. Development of vocal and physical skill with adapting for the audience. |
Once a fortnight. Theatrical style workshops: Knowledge and understanding of theatrical styles, their purpose and conventions, developing confidence with technique, physical and vocal skill to suit the audience and style. |
Once a fortnight. Theatrical production elements workshops. Build knowledge, understanding and experience of design and technician aspects of theatre. |
|
Year 9 |
Knowledge and understanding of the process of working with a script – ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’. Introduction and consolidation of key techniques, physical and vocal skill for performance. Consolidation from year 7 of ensemble work. |
Development of physical skill through knowledge and understanding of Frantic Assembly Physical Theatre as style and practice. Exploration and refinement of physical skill in ensemble performance. |
Synthesis of physical and vocal skill with introduction to characterisation through comedy and Drama as styles. Development of adaptation for audience through given circumstances. |
|
Year 10 Drama GCSE |
Component 1: Blood Brothers – exploration of physical and vocal skill, production elements and impact on audience through the study of the set text. |
Component 2: Devising from stimulus (group). Exploration and development of original theatre through study of political and physical theatre as styles, group work and performance. 10% final grade |
Component 2 part 2: Analysis and evaluation of devising process. 2500 words |
|
Year 11 Drama GCSE |
Component 3: Page to Stage – development of performance from script (monologue / duologue / group) for externally examined performance. |
February: Component 3 performance to examiner 20% final grade. |
Revision for written exam. |
|
Year 12 Drama and Theatre Studies A level |
September - February component 1: Introduction to and workshopping of theatrical styles in relation to practitioners. Development and refinement of physical and vocal skill in relation to dramatic intention, practitioner, text and theatrical style. |
Component 3: Set text – Machinal: reading and analysing character, set, style, context, impact. |
|
|
Year 13 Drama and Theatre Studies A level |
Component 2: Performance exam – group and monologue. Selection, research, rehearsal. |
Component 3: Preparation of set text response for mock exam. Director’s concept work. |
Preparation for component 3 written exam – 40%. |