Drama
Subject lead: Miss L Alexander
Drama at Weavers Academy has been designed to be an inclusive and creative course, aimed at increasing the cultural capital available to our students. The curriculum allows students to use their own imagination and creativity to participate in a range of practical drama exploring themes, concepts and styles using a variety of drama skills and techniques, and through a range of theatre visits and workshops. Students will develop their confidence in using vocal and physical skills to communicate meaning of a story or character, through the creating process as well as performance, enabling students to develop transferable skills including teamwork, collaboration and evaluation skills. Students will explore a wide variety of play scripts, styles and practitioners over the duration of KS3 Curriculum.
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Key Stage 3:
The Drama Curriculum in Key Stage 3 is a spiral curriculum; year 7 focuses on students learning to apply the core skills and techniques of practical Drama, which are then developed further throughout year 8 and 9.
Students will;
- Develop knowledge and skills in using strategies such as Still Image, Thought Tracking, Narration.
- Devise their own work in groups based on a range of stimuli
- Explore the use of vocal and physical skills and apply this knowledge in order to portray different character roles.
- Explore different scripts including Alice in Wonderland, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Romeo and Juliet, and DNA, exploring the narrative of different texts and the styles in which they can be presented.
- Develop their knowledge of stage directions, blocking scenes, and explore characterisation and styles of theatre.
- Develop analytical and evaluation skills through the observation of their own and their peers practical work, as well as recordings of live theatre, developing their knowledge of performance and design in the world of professional theatre.
Throughout Key Stage 3 students will continually revisit knowledge and skills learned to further embed their learning. Furthermore, students will develop transferable, employability skills as they collaborate with others each lesson, negotiating and working in teams, communicating with their peers, gaining confidence in speaking in front of others.
Curriculum Map:
Key Stage 4: AQA GCSE Drama
| AQA GCSE Drama |
| AQA | GCSE | Drama | Specification at a glance At GCSE, students work on 3 Components: |
| Component 1: Understanding Drama – 40% This component enables students to further develop knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre through the study of a set text, Noughts and Crosses, and the analysis and evaluation of live theatre. This is assessed as a 1hr 45m written exam at the end of the course. |
| Component 2: Devising Drama 40% This component allows students to explore the process of creating devised drama and is assessed through a final group performance (20 marks), as well as a portfolio of coursework (60 marks) showing an analysis and evaluation of the devising process and final performance. |
| Component 3: Text in Practice 20% This component enables students to work on a selected script to prepare two extracts for performance, individually, in pairs, or as a group. Students prepare a final performance which is assessed by a visiting examiner. |
Curriculum Map:
Key Stage 5: Edexcel A-Level Drama and Theatre
| Edexcel A-Level Drama |
| This course focuses on the practical exploration of performance texts, including exploring them in light of the work of theatre practitioners. Students are required to articulate how they would perform in certain roles, design for certain scenes and interpret a text for performance, having explored these elements practically. |
| Component 1: Devising 40% Students devise drama in groups based on a stimulus and considering one theatre practitioner, perform to an audience OR work as a theatre designer (20 marks), and prepare a written portfolio based on the process, showing analysis and evaluation of the entire process (60 marks). |
| Component 2: Text in performance (20%) Students prepare a performance two extracts from 2 different plays; one group performance (26 marks), and one monologue or duologue (24 marks). Alternatively, students may choose to work as a theatre designer, designing for 2 different performed extracts. This practical exam is marked by a visiting examiner. |
| Component 3: Theatre Makers in Practice (40%) Written exam 2hrs 30m. This component explores the practical study of two texts; how one can be realised for performance, and how the second can be interpreted in consideration of a theatre practitioner, focusing on how this text could be reimagined for a contemporary audience. This paper also includes a live theatre evaluation; students will be required to attend a live theatre performance in order to complete this part of the exam. Section A: Live Theatre Evaluation (20 marks) Section B: Page to Stage – Realising a Performance Text (That Face, Stenham) (36 marks) Section C: Interpreting a Performance Text (Lysistrata, Aristophanes) (24 marks) During this course students will continue to develop a multitude of transferable skills, including collaboration, communication, and an understanding of how to amend and refine work so they are able to make a smooth transition to their next level of study or employment. |
Curriculum Map:
Student Leadership and Enrichment:
Students are provided with a variety of opportunities to share their excellent work throughout the year at our Winter and Summer Creative Arts celebration events and GCSE and A-Level showcase evenings. We also provide opportunities through our annual CET Celebration of Shakespeare event, the school musical, and KS4 & 5 drama productions. In addition to this this, we ensure a range of drama electives are available for students to choose throughout the year, including Stage Combat and LAMDA. All of these events are a fantastic way of showcasing the hard work and talent of our students, and their enthusiasm for theatre. Throughout the year, our Drama students at different key stages are offered a range of enrichment including; KS3 Drama group, one-to-one Acting coach sessions, theatre workshops, and trips to view live theatre with ‘post-show chats’ with the cast or creators.