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Drama
Exam Board: EDEXCEL
Course: GCSE Drama (1DRO)
Teacher of Drama:
vision
At Debenham High School we aim to nurture a love for the theatre and to introduce students to the discipline variety and excitement of Drama as a dynamic art form. Students will create, rehearse and develop work, perform to a variety of audiences, and reflect knowledgably on their own work as well as that of others. We aim to provide all students with the opportunities to excel either on stage or back stage and to explore issues and play texts through a variety of drama strategies in a safe and creative learning environment. Through studying drama, students will develop their confidence through performances, group work and characterisation. Students will learn how to present ideas, work collaboratively and express themselves in creative and powerful ways.
Introduction
Drama is taught to all pupils in KS3 and as an option at KS4. Currently, there is one in Year 11 and 1 group in Year 10 studying GCSE. The school follows the Pearson (Edexcel) syllabus.
There is an emphasis on performance and nurturing an appreciation for drama as an art form. There is also importance placed on how drama can be used as a way of exploring ideas and topics.
Students are given the opportunity to perform in lessons as well as in major school productions. Recent productions have included:
‘Bugsy Malone’
‘Grease’
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
‘The Tempest’
programme of study
Each subject programme of study will:
- Provide a clear and coherent learning journey
- Foster subject-based understanding of new knowledge, concepts and methods
- Ensure students acquire knowledge and give opportunities for recall and application of this knowledge so that fluency is developed
- Require students to think and reason for themselves
- Explanations and resources enable students to engage with and master learning
- Learning should develop a depth of understanding that brings richness to the subject but also a breadth of understanding that enriches wider life and learning
- Develop a readiness for the next stage: be this the next lesson, the next unit of work, the next year or key stage; it prepares students for both academic, A Level, and future degree study, or vocational learning
- Contain appropriate, regular and robust assessment methods for measuring student progress and to allow intervention where progress is not as expected.
In order to see an overview of the sequence and progression of learning please see their Programme of Study:
Trips AND Visits
Over recent years, the school has run theatre trips to see:
- ‘The Kite Runner’
- ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’
- ‘Teechers’
- ‘1984’
- ‘Bugsy Malone’
KEY STAGE 3
Students are introduced to the drama strategies and techniques that are used at GCSE and beyond. These include:
- Still image
- Thought tracking
- Characterisation techniques
- Cross cutting
- Performance styles
Pupils have the opportunity within drama lessons to develop their self-confidence, social skills and communication skills.
KEY STAGE 4
Pupils follow the Pearson Drama course:
Component 1 Devising Plays - 40%
- Create and develop a devised piece from stimulus (free choice for centre).
- Performance of this devised piece or design realisation for this performance.
- Analyse and evaluate the devising process and performance.
Assessment overview
- Internally assessed and externally moderated.
- There are two parts to the assessment:
1) a portfolio covering the creating and developing process and analysis and evaluation of
this process
2) a devised performance
Component 2 Performance from a text - 20%
- You will either perform in and/or design for two key extracts from a performance text.
Assessment overview
- AO2 is assessed.
- Externally assessed by visiting examiner.
Component 3 Theatre Makers in Practice - 40%
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Practical exploration and study of one complete performance text
- Choice of eight performance texts
- Live theatre evaluation – free choice of production.
What could I do next with a GCSE in Drama?
There are many things that pupils can go on to do with a GCSE in Drama, possibly to go on take AS or A’ Level Drama or Theatre Studies. Or alternatively students may wish to go into a job where it is useful to have had experience of Drama, or where they will need to use some of the skills developed during this course. Drama is about developing the much needed life skills of communication, team work and interpretation of situations.
Pupils must have a good level of English in order to take the course and be able to work independently in groups. Pupils should also be committed to attending theatre productions. These are an essential part of the course as watching live theatre enables pupils to develop an understanding of what makes a powerful performance.
