Drama

Course Description

Year 7

Students in Year 7 will study many different and exciting units of work in their first year of Drama lessons. Each unit is designed to build key drama skills and allow students to explore different types of theatre whilst building their confidence and creativity. Within the first year, students will build the two key skills needed for creating theatre: working with script and devising their own theatre.

Curriculum content includes:

• Dr Duban – Creating drama, teamwork and imagination, proxemics, voice, body language, gesture.
• Pantomime – Comedy, characterisation, voice and body language.
• Wacky Soap – Life skills, substance abuse education, role-playing, scenarios involving risk and consequence.
• Macbeth – Introduction to script, introduction to Shakespeare, blocking, directing, delivering lines.
• The Island – Imagination, teamwork, empathy, world-building and script writing.
• Stage Combat – Correct physical technique for moves, directing, health and safety, proxemics, plot and structure of scene.

Year 8

Students in Year 8 will study many advanced and intriguing units of work designed to build upon the key drama skills gained in Year 7, and allow students to explore different types of theatre whilst building their confidence and creativity. Within this second year of Drama, students will start to be stretched and challenged to get them ready for the GCSE years ahead; the skills learned in Drama can also be very useful in many other subjects. Skills such as teamwork, creativity, time management and public speaking will be invaluable in later academic and personal life.

Curriculum content includes:

• Iconic Television – Narration, still image, cross-cutting, thought track, marking moment, genre, parody.
• Off Balance – Physical Theatre, movement, comedy and theatre practitioners.
• Warden X – Improvisation skills, confidence, imagination, teamwork, problem-solving.
• Mask – Movement, gesture, mime, mask performance skills, proxemics, comedy.
• Scriptwriting – Imagination, world-building, script structure, development of character.
• Darkwood Manor – Storytelling, ghost stories, suspense, genre, teamwork, problem solving.

Year 9

Students in Year 9 will study many advanced and intriguing units of work designed to build upon the key drama skills gained in Years 7 and 8. This will lead into core skills needed in GCSE and also for further development of life skills such as communication, problem solving and teamwork. Within this third year of Drama, students will explore different Drama pathways, including performance but also design elements such as costume, sound, lighting and set design, which can be chosen pathways at GCSE or an exciting opportunity to widen their theatre knowledge

Curriculum content includes:

• Silent Movies – Genre, mime, slapstick comedy, movement, teamwork, imagination.
• DNA text study – Working with text, research for SCHP, aspects in a text, page-to-stage development.
• Guided Devising – Core devising skills, research for SCHP, teamwork, time management, confidence, using a stimuli.
• Sound & Foley – Sound design, vocal skills, stop motion, soundscape, artistic interpretation, iMovie.
• Design it! – Understanding of: lighting, set, costume & sound design, sketching, justification of choices, teamwork.

Assessment

Knowledge and skills are assessed through performances, script writing and design tasks presented to an audience of the students’ peers in class. Students are given verbal feedback regularly during lessons and will give peer feedback to each other throughout lessons, and once every half term a formal performed or submitted assessment takes place with written feedback.

Home Learning

Homework is set fortnightly, and tasks are linked to the topic they are learning about, which may include quizzes, spelling tests, written tasks, research, further reading etc.

Where Can Drama Take You?

Drama is an excellent subject for transferable skills. Not only will these skills help you in other subjects but also in your future workplace; the life skills gained in Drama can be useful in many ways. Skills developed through Drama can be used in all aspects of work and life, such as:

• imagination
• team work
• problem solving
• public speaking
• memory
• time management
• communication

Further Study

• GCSE Drama
• A level Drama/Theatre Studies
• BTEC Performing Arts Level 3
• Degrees in Performing Arts, Theatre Design, Media, Drama Therapy

Careers

• Drama teacher
• Director
• Professional Actor
• Designer (costume, lighting, sound, set etc.)
• Theatre Manager
• Producer
• Theatre Technician
• Drama Therapist

How Can Parents Support Their Child’s Learning?

• Ask your child to describe what they learnt in their lesson
• Get your child to teach you something they learnt today; see if they can help you remember it, as this will help ensure they understand it and consolidate their own learning
• Get your child to regularly create revision posters/flash cards to help recap information
• Use your child’s workbooks/revision posters/flash cards to ask them questions and test their knowledge / help them to revise it regularly e.g. on a car journey, whilst making/eating dinner
• Encourage your child to take part in Drama clubs in and out of school and support them with it
• Watch live or recorded theatre with your child, and ask them questions that would relate to GCSE Drama theory, such as: What vocal or physical skills is that actor using? How does the lighting reflect the mood/atmosphere? What are the actors doing well? How does the set help reflect the era of the play? Are the costumes correct for the time and setting of the play?

Useful Links

• BBC Bitesize – https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zk6pyrd
• GCSE Pod – https://www.gcsepod.com/
• Drama Resources – https://dramaresource.com/useful-links/
• Kneehigh Theatre – https://www.kneehigh.co.uk/
• Geko Theatre (also try their YouTube channel for free shows) – https://www.geckotheatre.com/