Drama Curriculum
Curriculum Intent – Content and Structure
The intended outcomes of what we teach:
| Confidence Collaborative skills Performance skills (physical, vocal, interpretative) Creativity-undertaking tasks and acquiring knowledge with this approach (problem solving) Loving the subject, understanding the art form as an academic subject Making links between skills developed and relevance to life skills Equip students with skills needed to pass exams Developing analytical skills Text analysis How to understand social context |
Curriculum Implementation
Curriculum Content and Sequence
Year 7
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Storytelling / Cuddington Manor | Blodin / Roald Dahl’s The BFG | Our day out Devising |
Year 8
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Melodrama and Silent Film / Commedia dell’Arte | Missing / The Media | Three Masks |
Year 9
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Characterisation | Drama Practitioners | Scripts Tie |
Year 10
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| GCSE - Finding the Form / Outsiders devising / Intro to Government Inspector BTEC - Building Skills, Intro to C1 Exploring the Performing Arts (Musical Theatre) Bugsy Malone, Billy Elliot | Government Inspector continued / C1 Devising BTEC - C1 Exploring repertoires – Frantic Assemly's Othello | C1 Devising and portfolio / Revision of Government Inspector / Teaching of theatre review BTEC - C1 final submission |
Year 11
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| GCSE - Revisit Government Inspector and theatre review skills. Draft two of C1 devising portfolio. BTEC - C2 Improving as an actor scripted performance | C2 practical examination scripts BTEC - C3 responding to a stimuli devising for workshop performance | Exam prep and revision C3 controlled assessments |
Year 12
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Laying the foundations / Mock devising / Accidental Death of an Anarchist intro. | Accidental Death of an Anarchist intro continued / C1 Devising – stimulus Jerusalem (Jez Butterworth), practitioner influence Frantic Assembly physical theatre. | C1 Devising and portfolio / Revision of Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Live Theatre Review. |
Year 13
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Teaching of C3 revision of ADA / Lysistrata introduction and exam skills. | C2 practical examination scripted performances, monologue and group. | Exam prep and revision. |
The Rationale for the Content and Sequence of what we Teach
Year | Why we Teach this Content and how the Content and Sequence of Topics Benefits our Students. |
Year 7 | Start with learning basic drama concepts and the origins of Drama and Theatre. Lay foundations for text and devised work, which mirrors specification. Final term considers these again but with more depth and an understanding of wider theatrical skills such as designers. |
Year 8 | Getting students to understand style and genre starting with the style that will be applied in GCSE and A Level. Then apply skills learnt in Year 7 to topics with more depth and creativity needed. They consider further techniques to form their work, thinking about communication of a message through Drama. Their understanding of the conventions of specific styles are built upon leaving them with a wider bank of techniques to draw upon. |
Year 9 | Focus on acting skills, introducing written skills required for GCSE and BTEC. Developed understanding of style and genres with a focus on practitioners. Then development of text skills in relation to analysis, performance of page to stage and the concept of SCH. Final unit mirrors devising task for GCSE and BTEC, with particular focus on the skills development required of BTEC. Further understanding of the academic value of the subject in relation to the specification. |
Year 10 | Recapping skills for devising with a focus on specification requirements and portfolio (GCSE) / roles and responsibilities in the performing arts (BTEC). GCSE - Understanding the set text laying the foundations for the exam and understanding of the requirements. Completion of the first devising component using the skills learnt to now. Revision of set text for Summer mock and introduction to the theatre review. BTEC - Understanding the repertoires and requirements of performer, director and designer. Watching live theatre. Completion of workshops on repertoires and evidence presentation on repertoires studied. |
Year 11 | GCSE - Exam technique and revision for play with specific focus on prep for exam building on skills for last year. Refining coursework. Focus on two practical exams building on skills learn previously. Intense revision and prep for final exam. BTEC - Skills for script work, with specific focus on logging and evaluating development of skills. Workshop performance. Component 3 devising external unit culmination of explorative and practical skills, workshop performance and controlled assessment logs. |
Year 12 | Develop understanding of practitioners by way of revision and development of new information. Using previous skills to devise within light of specification requirements. Introduction of the new set text and the exam requirements. Completion of the first devising component using the skills learnt to now. Revision of set text for Summer mock exam. |
Year 13 | Exam technique and revision for play with specific focus on prep for exam building on skills for last year and introduction of new set text. Refining coursework. Focus on two practical exams building on skills learn previously. Intense revision and prep for final exam. |
Key Stage 4 (KS4) and Key Stage 5 (KS5) only:
What exam board/syllabus do you teach?
At KS4: Edexcel Drama GCSE, Edexcel BTEC Level 1/2 Performing Arts
At KS5: Edexcel Drama and Theatre Studies A Level
Why have you chosen this syllabus?
Choice of set texts.
Follow on between GCSE and A Level.
Offering both GCSE and BTEC meets different needs of our cohort, academic and vocational.
In what ways is it suited to your students?
Some set text from previous spec at A Level.
Teacher specialism and expertise / interest.
Curriculum Implementation
The subject specific habits and behaviours we develop (or intend to develop) in our students
Subject Specific Habits and Behaviours | How we embed these in our students |
| Collaboration Commitment Resilience Creativity Self-motivated Self-discipline | Extended collaborative group tasks with clear time frames Open tasks to encourage deeper thinking and creativity Teacher modelling Consider what is needed to rehearse and collaborate successful Time to reflect on prior learning |
Academy Ethos
Academy Curriculum Intent | How our department’s curriculum content and teaching approaches reflect the whole Academy ethos |
| A Curricular and Pastoral commitment to Micah 6v8: Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God High Expectations of students’ behaviour for learning, learning progress, and respect for our community. A commitment to make learning enjoyable, engaging, relevant and challenging. A commitment to develop knowledge, skills and character. Consistency and fairness in approach and routines. Excellent and developing subject knowledge which inspires confidence in students. Effective collaboration across all parts of the academy. Highly skilled teaching which deepens understanding and stimulates curiosity. A willingness to embrace research and innovation in order to enhance the learning potential of our students. Recognising and rewarding effective use of learning habits as well as academic achievement. | Explore issues such as prejudice, the media and bullying that encourage tolerance and acceptance. Teaching students how to be an audience and being kind in a group setting. Empathy for others, respect. Varied curriculum, topics, plays, styles and teaching activities. Extra curriculum opportunities. Model box in Year 10. Inclusivity of subject, differentiation through outcome and appreciated and respected. Staff visit theatre regularly and read plays to keep up to date with theatre trends. Working closely with music as a PA faculty. National Theatre Connections projects and show-cross curricular. Balanced curriculum to give students opportunity to include different avenues in the arts such as design, complex texts with varying contexts embedded into curriculum. Cross curricular links with History, Sociology, Politics and English Literature. Design Booklet - 9 grade research task opportunities. Curriculum built on research for new specification to ensure academic understanding. Being open to new ideas. Postcards home. Colours scheme. |
Implementation
Academy Ethos
Micah 6v8: Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God | ||||
Curriculum Content Opportunities | Curriculum Delivery Opportunities | |||
| Justice | Year 7: Blodin Year 8: The Media Year 9: TIE KS4: The Government Inspector – comeuppance, Billy Elliot and Frantic Assembly's Othello KS5: Accidental Death of an Anarchist | Collaborative work-all voices and values/opinions being heard Differentiation/Leadership roles Theatre evaluations-no wrong answer-evidence-all opinions count Targeted questioning-no hands up | ||
| Kindness | Year 7: Our Day Out Year 8: Bullying Year 9: TIE KS4: Devising – protest stimulus KS5: Jerusalem | Collaborative work-all voices and values/opinions being heard Audience routines and appreciation Feedback constructively to peers | ||
| Humility | Year 7: The BFG Year 8: Bullying Year 9: TIE KS4: Devising – protest stimulus KS5: Jerusalem | Embedded Evaluation and self-reflection – learning always ongoing Appreciation of design of theatre makers | ||
Please click here to access the full Drama curriculum document.