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Drama
Good theatre draws the energies out of the place where it is and gives it back as joie de vivre.
Joan Littlewood
Students are encouraged to adopt characters of different beliefs and status, building their presentational skills and confidence, whilst developing a love of theatre.
Staff
Mrs B. James (Subject Leader)
Vision
To expose students to a variety of styles, genres, playwrights, performance companies and practitioners; and to allow them to enrich their life experiences and become confident and critical creators and evaluators of performance.
Intent
Through exploring and empathising with characters of different beliefs and status, students are encouraged to build their own presentational skills, hone their ability to effectively analyse and evaluate performance choices, whilst developing a love of theatre in its many forms.
Key Stage 3: In Year 9, students are exposed to a wide variety of genres, styles and practitioners, ranging from Greek tragedy to melodrama, pantomime, scripted pieces and physical theatre. This subject builds on drama skills developed in English, encouraging team-building and the dividing of responsibilities within a group. It allows students to become confident in the use of a variety of dramatic techniques, think spontaneously and creatively and consider their choice of skills when presenting themselves to an audience. The course also allows students to build their dramatic vocabulary and become familiar when discussing theatrical work, in both written and oral formats as critic, designer, performer, director and audience member. Lessons provide an insight into the skills required for study at GCSE and a foundation for future study of drama texts in English and as an informed member of society
Key Stage 4: Studying the AQA syllabus, students consolidate techniques learned in Year 9 in more detail. In groups, students are assessed on both devised and scripted practical work, for their commitment to rehearsals and for the final presentation. They also study several set texts from the point of view of a director, actor, designer and technician. This helps them to learn to about the finer details of performance and the roles and responsibilities of a range of theatrical roles, with reference to context and staging.
It is a requirement of the course that students see live theatre and many opportunities are made available to the girls to do so. They are then shown how to critique these performances. The written aspects of the course are assessed through written portfolios and a final written examination.
Key Stage 5: In the Sixth Form, we study the Edexcel course, Drama and Theatre Studies. The practical focus of the course allows students to explore the theories of practitioners and playwrights in a series of workshops and apply their practices to other texts and performance pieces, encouraging creativity and individuality.
There is also a scripted unit in which students must perform a mono/duologue and contribute to a larger piece. Set texts are explored from the perspective of director, actor, designer and audience member. Students are encouraged to see a variety of shows and taught to evaluate live performance as an effective and discerning critic, which is assessed as part of the final written examination. This course is diverse and allows students to be creative and analytical of their creations and those of others. A level Drama and Theatre Studies presents students opportunities to explore and understand the different roles within the theatre and to deepen their love of the Arts.
Co-curricular: The Drama department also runs a variety of co-curricular trips, workshops and opportunities to perform to different audiences. Students are extremely committed and enthusiastic regarding Drama and their energy is encouraged. Older students run lunchtime sessions for younger students and there are many inter-house and cross year events to foster dramatic potential. Lessons are taught in a large studio, with blackout facilities and a lighting rig. Opportunities to explore drama (both the performance and technical side) are being organised in addition to taught lessons. There has been significant investment in the sound and light facilities in the Hall offering chances to use high quality equipment.
Good theatre draws the energies out of the place where it is and gives it back as joie de vivre.
Joan Littlewood
Students are encouraged to adopt characters of different beliefs and status, building their presentational skills and confidence, whilst developing a love of theatre.
Staff
Mrs B. James (Subject Leader)
Vision
To expose students to a variety of styles, genres, playwrights, performance companies and practitioners; and to allow them to enrich their life experiences and become confident and critical creators and evaluators of performance.
Intent
Through exploring and empathising with characters of different beliefs and status, students are encouraged to build their own presentational skills, hone their ability to effectively analyse and evaluate performance choices, whilst developing a love of theatre in its many forms.
Key Stage 3: In Year 9, students are exposed to a wide variety of genres, styles and practitioners, ranging from Greek tragedy to melodrama, pantomime, scripted pieces and physical theatre. This subject builds on drama skills developed in English, encouraging team-building and the dividing of responsibilities within a group. It allows students to become confident in the use of a variety of dramatic techniques, think spontaneously and creatively and consider their choice of skills when presenting themselves to an audience. The course also allows students to build their dramatic vocabulary and become familiar when discussing theatrical work, in both written and oral formats as critic, designer, performer, director and audience member. Lessons provide an insight into the skills required for study at GCSE and a foundation for future study of drama texts in English and as an informed member of society
Key Stage 4: Studying the AQA syllabus, students consolidate techniques learned in Year 9 in more detail. In groups, students are assessed on both devised and scripted practical work, for their commitment to rehearsals and for the final presentation. They also study several set texts from the point of view of a director, actor, designer and technician. This helps them to learn to about the finer details of performance and the roles and responsibilities of a range of theatrical roles, with reference to context and staging.
It is a requirement of the course that students see live theatre and many opportunities are made available to the girls to do so. They are then shown how to critique these performances. The written aspects of the course are assessed through written portfolios and a final written examination.
Key Stage 5: In the Sixth Form, we study the Edexcel course, Drama and Theatre Studies. The practical focus of the course allows students to explore the theories of practitioners and playwrights in a series of workshops and apply their practices to other texts and performance pieces, encouraging creativity and individuality.
There is also a scripted unit in which students must perform a mono/duologue and contribute to a larger piece. Set texts are explored from the perspective of director, actor, designer and audience member. Students are encouraged to see a variety of shows and taught to evaluate live performance as an effective and discerning critic, which is assessed as part of the final written examination. This course is diverse and allows students to be creative and analytical of their creations and those of others. A level Drama and Theatre Studies presents students opportunities to explore and understand the different roles within the theatre and to deepen their love of the Arts.
Co-curricular: The Drama department also runs a variety of co-curricular trips, workshops and opportunities to perform to different audiences. Students are extremely committed and enthusiastic regarding Drama and their energy is encouraged. Older students run lunchtime sessions for younger students and there are many inter-house and cross year events to foster dramatic potential. Lessons are taught in a large studio, with blackout facilities and a lighting rig. Opportunities to explore drama (both the performance and technical side) are being organised in addition to taught lessons. There has been significant investment in the sound and light facilities in the Hall offering chances to use high quality equipment.
