Drama

Years 7-9

Introduction and Overview

KS3 Drama at Church Stretton School is an active subject that encourages students to develop their creativity, cooperation and collaboration skills through a practical exploration of the craft of theatre and performance. 

Students in years 7, 8 and 9 receive 2 lessons of drama per fortnight and explore a wide variety of skillsets, topics and plays.  Students create and perform a range of original devised pieces and a number of published play texts throughout key stage 3.  There is opportunity to also explore non-performed roles in theatre-making such as lighting, sound, costume and script writing.

Topics in each year include:

Year 7: Storytelling, introduction to script, masked performance and creating drama from poetry.

Year 8: Melodrama, physical comedy, Shakespeare and creating drama from a true-life stimulus.

Year 9: Introduction to practitioners, Greek theatre, Shakespeare characterisation and creating drama from contemporary issues.

There are a number of extra-curricular activities in drama available to students including an annual whole school show that all students are encouraged to participate in. Students also have the opportunity to participate in local arts festivals in showcasing their work.

 

How to support your child

We are sure that you already do many of these things to support your child but here is a useful reminder for you to refer to:

  • Encourage wider reading
  • Ask them what they have learnt today
  • Help them to structure revision for tests and assessments
  • Make good use of BBC Bitesize
  • Encourage discussion about news events.
  • Read books and watch films from a variety of genres.
  • Discuss personal responses to key themes of films and novels
  • Join a youth theatre or attend a drama based club.

Curriculum Overview 

Knowledge Organiser 

Web Links

Additional Reading

Years 10-11

Introduction and Overview

GCSE Drama at Church Stretton School is an active and exploratory course that extends the learning undertaken at KS3. Students develop their understanding and skill of theatre making and acting but also have the opportunity to focus their learning on a number of key areas of drama, including non-performed roles such as set design and script writing.  Formal assessment is carried out through a combination of the class teacher, a visiting examiner and through a final written examination. Students undertake the programme of study for OCR GCSE Drama and are assessed through 4 components.

  • Component 1/2: Devising Drama (30%)
  • Component 3:    Presenting and performing texts (30%)
  • Component 4:    Drama: performance and response (40%)

Students study a range of contemporary and classical play-texts and develop techniques for devising original drama from a variety of starting points.  Alongside this, students develop transferable skills in speaking and listening, semiotic communication and review and evaluation.

What’s it worth?    1 GCSE

Why do it?

  • Drama is a practical and group work based subject.
  • You will have the opportunity to develop your creativity, imagination and ability to solve problems as part of a team.
  • You will be able to develop your confidence, presentation and interpersonal skills.

It is ideal for students who

  • have a good imagination and an interest in working practically and ‘on your feet’
  • enjoy expressing themselves in an active and creative way.
  • find it stimulating to share ideas, listen to others and work in groups.
  • have an interest or talent in theatre, drama and the performing arts.
 
What will you do?

You will study a range of theatre styles, the works of different playwrights and various ways of making drama. You can choose to be assessed as either a performer (actor) or as a designer (lighting / sound) through practical tasks and reflection records / journals.  There is a final written exam at the end of the course. You will have the opportunity to work with well-known plays and to create your own, original drama in a classroom environment that is active, challenging and enjoyable.

What do you need?

  • An ability to be responsible for yourself and how you learn
  • Good group work skills and to be prepared to work with a variety of different students.
  • A positive attitude towards working practically
  • Commitment to extending your learning in lunchtime and after-school opportunities.
  • Enthusiasm for working with others in groups and whole class activities.

 

For further details see:  Mr Wise

Subject                 Exam Board                        Internal                                    Exam Paper

Drama                   OCR                                 60% Assessed                          40%  Written Exam                                                                                                 

                                                                         Practical Tasks   

How to support your child

We are sure that you already do many of these things to support your child but here is a useful reminder for you to refer to:

  • Encourage wider reading
  • Ask them what they have learnt today
  • Help them to structure revision for tests and assessments
  • Make good use of BBC Bitesize GCSE Drama
  • Discuss current affairs considering a range of viewpoints
  • See as much live theatre as possible
  • Watch films of differing genres

Curriculum Overview

Knowledge Organiser

Web Links

National Theatre https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/

Royal Shakespeare Theatre https://www.rsc.org.uk/

Theatre History Timeline http://www.glencoe.com/theatre/Timeline/timeline_content.html

Drama GCSE Bitesize http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zbckjxs

Additional Reading