The Arts - Drama

Staff

Ms. V. Pridham - Curriculum Leader Drama
Mrs. S. Smith - Year Leader 8

The general aims of the Drama department as related to the aims of the school

To help students to develop an enthusiastic and creative approach to drama.
To provide opportunities for creative and aesthetic development through a wide range of dramatic experiences.
To motivate students to achieve the highest quality of work commensurate with their potential in the subject.
To provide opportunities for students to develop dramatic techniques and skills.
To help students independently to evaluate their own work and that of others.
To develop students communication skills through use of the drama genre.
To use the experience of drama as a means to:
- Enhance and develop a sense of individual worth and respect for others regardless of gender, race, religion, culture, ability or disability.
- Foster and appreciation, respect and tolerance of the views and beliefs of others and an understanding of the society we live in.
To use the discipline of group work, devising and performing to encourage a positive self-image in every student so that they may gain in confidence.
To use the drama form to explore moral, ethical, social and spiritual issues so that students may develop sufficient understanding of their environment to contribute positively to its development and gain the understanding to equip them to take an active and constructive role in society.
To use drama to develop satisfactory personal relationships by encouraging sensitivity to the needs of others, a sense of responsibility, self-discipline, co-operation and supportive attitudes.
To develop an appreciation of achievements past and present in the world of Drama.

Specific Aims and Objectives of the Drama curriculum

The aim of the drama curriculum is to provide each student with opportunities to explore experiences through the medium of Drama and to learn how to create theatrically effective piece of work. It should develop critical evaluative skills. Students should be allowed to develop an appreciation of Drama and Theatre as an art form. They should learn to understand how Drama links to other Art forms.

Students should aim to...

Explore and express ideas and order experiences through the use of the drama form.
Acquire the knowledge and skills specific to the creative drama process.
Develop negotiated, collected ownership of their work.
Gain practical understanding of different elements of the Art form and how they contribute to the total effect of a performance: to appreciate particularly the links between Drama, Dance, Music and Art.
Respond creatively to a variety of stimuli using the drama form.
Develop imaginative abilities.
Create performances.
Develop critical faculties with reference to their own work and that of others.
Develop sensitivity both to issues and people.
Develop self-confidence.

To use the drama form to promote equal opportunities. By exploration of issues, to reject prejudice in whatever form it might appear.

Objectives

Students should develop the following skills in Drama...

Acting skills.
Inter-personal and group working skills.
Creative skills.
Improvisation skills.
Communication skills.
Evaluative skills.

Students should also develop knowledge and understanding of...

The ways in which ideas, feelings and meanings are conveyed through the language of drama.
A range of drama forms by recognising them in the work of others and by applying them in practical drama activities.

The ways in which practitioners use the language of drama to realise a text in performance.

The ways in which ideas in drama can be recorded and interpreted.
How plays and ideas in drama relate to their social, historical and cultural context.

KEY STAGE 4 - YEAR 10

Students follow the Edexcel 1699 G.C.S.E. syllabus. There is a prescribed programme of study, which has three major areas that the student needs to explore. These are:

Explorative strategies
The drama medium
The elements of drama

The class teacher will ensure that the students are able to use all of the above to produce theatrically effective pieces of drama. The route, materials and methodology that is taken to achieve this knowledge and competency will be at the discretion of the class teacher and relate to factors like prior knowledge and skills that students may have, social, spiritual and cultural considerations, topical circumstances and specific expertise and interest that a teacher may have. The teacher will, however, follow a basic ‘timetable’ throughout the year to ensure that students are fully prepared for the exam components.

The Edexcel exam consists of two papers:

Paper 1 (60%) involves students participating in two Drama Exploration workshops. The teacher will assess the practical work, which will be supported by a portfolio of documentary evidence. Unit 1 is concerned with the use of drama to explore ideas and issues in response to stimulus material. Unit 2 is concerned with the exploration of the complete play.

Paper 2 is a drama performance, externally examined.

Term 1

There will be at least one major unit explored which will act as a ‘mock’ for Paper 1, unit 2. e.g. Status unit, Prison life.

Term 2

There will be at least one piece of textual exploration, of a complete and substantial play. This will be the ‘mock’ for Paper 1, unit 2. e.g. Pinter’s ‘Black and White’.

Students will see at least one live theatre production, which they will critically review. This will become task 3 of Paper1, unit 2.

Term 3

Paper 1, unit 2 will be examined by the class teacher and the portfolio completed.

KEY STAGE 4 -YEAR 11

Term 1

The first half term will be concerned with revision of the major areas of the subject in preparation for Paper 1, unit 1, Drama Exploration workshop. This is based around two different types of drama texts. The actual assessed workshop and the accompanying portfolio will take place over the course of approximately one month and will start after the half term.

On completion of this final unit of Paper 1, students will commence work on the externally examined paper 2, the Drama performance. This rehearsal period will continue through into Term 2 and will usually be examined in Term 3, early May.