Drama

Year 7

To give students the experience of developing their own creative voice. By using the skills in group work and stimulating their creative capacity students are encouraged to develop their own imagination, resilience and social skills while building their confidence by sharing their own ideas with their class through performances. The stimulus chosen challenges their creative thinking and develop their appreciation that other perspectives are equally valid and even necessary for a collaborative process to take place. The three underlying strands, which link to the GCSE Drama course, support the students at the beginning of their KS3 Drama journey and form the foundation for creative, independent and resilient learners across all aspects of the KS3 Curriculum.
Creative response: Students are given the opportunity to engage with a variety of stimuli and develop their own ideas based on them.
Constructive Collaboration: Students are encouraged and guided in the best way to work collaboratively. Stimulus given to students a Give multiple opportunities for interpretation to aid in creating discussion points.
Independent Learning: Students are given the experiences of independent work, with teacher guidance and learning the skills to self-regulate and negotiate with others.

Year 8

To develop, broaden and deepen appreciation of Drama as a living and valid form of expression. The course aims to show that other avenues of are available for creative expression. Focus is also given so that students can develop their own creative voice; by using scripts, masks and their own ideas students can further develop the skills learnt in Year 7 to enhance their presentation skills and confidence in front of others. The links to the GCSE Drama Curriculum are strengthened to help support those who wish to pursue Drama into GCSE but also provide challenge for students who will need these creative and collaborative skills in other parts of the curriculum.
Creative Response to written Language: Students use written text as basis for a creative response. Learning that their understanding of texts informs their imaginative response.
Constructive Collaboration: Students skills in group work are developed through exposure to schemes that require negotiation and compromise in groups. Greater self-reliance is engendered in a greater emphasis on rehearsal and preparation for performance.
Independent Learning: Students are encouraged to develop their skills in independent work as schemes are based around the rehearsal and creative response to texts through group work.

Year 9

To give students the creative base to progress at KS4, regardless of the next step of study. The course aims to show the transferable nature of drama skills, while building confidence in students’ own ideas and ability to express them. This is coupled with a focus on challenging students to move beyond their comfort zone as well as negotiating and developing their own viewpoints. The links to the GCSE Drama curriculum are explicit and allow students to understand what would be expected of them if they were to choose Drama at KS4. However, the course does work on those transferable negotiating, debating and creative skills relevant to any GCSE course regardless of context.
Creative Response to written Language: Students use written text as basis for a creative response. Developing their independent understanding of texts which will allow to fully engage their imaginative response.
Constructive Collaboration: Students skills in negotiation and compromise are developed in longer tasks where they are guided by teachers and not lead by them groups. Self-reliance is emphasised through rehearsal and preparation for performance.
Independent Learning: Students continue to develop their skills in independent work as schemes are based around the rehearsal and creative response to texts through group work

Half Term 1

Introduction to Drama:
Story Based Exploration:
In the Attic Journey to the West

Half Term 2

Developing Empathy through drama exploration:
The Party

Half Term 3

Refining performance skills; creating atmosphere:
The Haunted Lift

Half Term 4

Exploring a Script for performance; Shakespeare:
The Winter’s Tale

Half Term 5

Introduction to developing a response to Live Theatre:
Shrek the Musical

Half Term 6

Exploring a Script for performance;
The BFG

Half Term 1

Exploring a Script for performance:
Roald Dahl:
The Twits

Half Term 2

Exploration of Character through Stimulus:
Inference/Jo

Half Term 3

Appreciation and developing a response to Live Theatre:
Peter Pan

Half Term 4

Devising a Performance:
Fairy Tales
Research and devising logs

Half Term 5

Communicating to an audience through Physicality and Puppetry
Masks and Puppets

Half Term 6

Introduction to practitioners
Augusto Boal

Half Term 1

Exploring a GCSE script for performance and Design
DNA

Half Term 2

Exploring issue based themes through script and stimuli
Social Media and Influences

Half Term 3

Exploring a Script for performance; Shakespeare:
Romeo and Juliet

Half Term 4

Exploring a Script for performance; Shakespeare:
Romeo and Juliet

Half Term 5

Acting for a different medium
TV/Film

Half Term 6

Appreciation and developing a response to Live Theatre