Drama
2024/2025 teaching staff: Mrs D Solari, and Miss T Searle
Follow us on twitter @OakwoodDrama
Drama fosters self-discipline, confidence and team work as well as developing skills in interpreting, negotiating, problem solving, decision making and evaluating. Drama enhances students’ artistic and creative abilities and gives them a better understanding of themselves and the world they live in. Students will use themes, issues and texts to examine a diverse range of social, political and cultural contexts. Drama is an inclusive subject where all students are given the opportunity to learn and develop in a safe and structured environment. There are many cross-curricular links explored in Drama lessons.
| Faculty | Creative Arts |
|---|---|
| Head of Faculty | Mr R Hughes Contact for more details of Creative Arts curriculum |
| Key Stage 3 | Throughout Key Stage Three, students develop their abilities in comprehension and communication. They will work in varying group sizes and learn to take risks with the development of their ideas. Students learn performance skills and how they can communicate meaning to an audience. They learn to analyse their work and the work of others. Assessment will take place each term and students will be assessed regularly on their communication, concentration, collaboration, creativity and characterisation as well as their acting ability in an end of term assessment. Homework will be in the form of line-learning, rehearsals, revising drama language, spelling tests and online quizzes that test the knowledge learnt in lessons. |
Key Stage 4
Progression from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 is made through building on and developing the use of Drama techniques previously learnt and exploring age appropriate issues and contexts.
C1 – Understanding Drama - worth 40% of the GCSE. To be assessed May of Year 11.
- Students will study the play Blood Brothers through both practical and theory work. They will develop an understanding of the play from the perspective of an actor, director and designer to allow them to answer 4 exam questions on this play.
- Students will also analyse and evaluate a piece of live theatre which they will view at least once over the two years. They will focus on the work of the theatre makers (actors, directors and designers) and answer 1 exam question on this play.
C2 – Devising Drama - worth 40% of the GCSE.
- Students will work in groups to create a devised piece of drama. In preparation for this students will be taught about applying different styles of theatre to their work, and will explore the work of recognised theatre practitioners.
- Students will also need to complete a devising log which records their process of exploration and creation of work, and evaluates their final performance. Students will perform in front of an audience and will be marked by teacher examiners.
C3 – Texts in Practice – worth 20% of GCSE.
- Students will perform two extracts from a play which will be chosen by their teachers to ensure the text embraces the performance strengths of the student.
- This will be performed in front of an audience, and will be marked by an external examiner.
Exam Board AQA Extra-Curricular
The Drama department also offer opportunities for students to take part in a range of extra-curricular activities, for example theatre trips, actor workshops, the Christmas Show, Whole School Production and KS4 rehearsals after school.
Download the Pathway Doctument below:
Oakwood School – Curriculum Overview
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| Autumn | Spring | Summer | Rationale |
| Year 7 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Understanding Drama Introduction / Amadora | Devising Drama Darkwood Manor | Texts in practice Humpty Dumpty |
Year 7 comprises of a baseline assessment and three schemes of work that introduce students to Drama. Students learn to work and interact with their peers, exploring different stimuli with teacher in role, to build confidence of performing. Basic drama skills are also introduced throughout the year.
The Autumn SOW focuses firstly on a baseline assessment, then moves on to improvisation, developing characterisation and learning basic drama skills.
The Spring SOW continues to develop improvisation skills and builds further on drama and characterisation skills.
The summer SOW covers text in practice, where students explore a play text bring extracts from ‘page to stage’ as well as exploring off-text scenarios with improvisation skills. Characterisation skills continue to be developed. This supports the study of a play text at GCSE for Component 1.
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| Content covered
| Baseline assessment based on the start of a story, leading to exploration of life on a fictional ancient island.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will create their own piece of drama for a baseline assessment from a given stimuli. In Amadora, students will respond to teacher in role creating drama and developing characterisation.
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will be involved in whole class improvisations and explore different scenarios in group work.
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others –students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback.
| Exploration of a narrative based around a haunted house.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will respond to teacher in role creating drama and developing characterisation.
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will perform spontaneous improvisations in role with the teacher to explore the characters and develop the story. Students will develop their characterisation and improvisation skills.
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others – students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback.
| Exploration of a play text – ‘The terrible fate of Humpty Dumpty’ by David Calcutt.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will bring extracts of the play ‘from page to stage’ as actors and director, exploring how physical and vocal skills communicate meaning on stage.
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will perform both extracts and off text improvisations to explore the characters and the context of the play.
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others –students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback.
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| Assessment
| Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | ||
| Literacy focus
| Exploration of an opening of a story for the Baseline assessment.
| Creative writing story about why you should never go to Darkwood Manor – shared in class and performed with narration. | Exploration of a play text – ‘The terrible fate of Humpty Dumpty’ by David Calcutt.
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| Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Students will explore relationships and moral dilemmas. | Students will explore human interactions, reading body language and about signing contracts. | Students will explore the issues of bullying, relationships and consequences of actions. | ||
| National Curriculum links / GCSE connections | GCSE component 1 – Understanding Drama GCSE component 2 – devising drama
NC – Speaking and listening (en1) | GCSE component 2 – devising drama
NC – Speaking and listening (en1) | GCSE component 1 – Understanding Drama GCSE Component 3 – Texts in Practice NC – Speaking and listening (en1) |
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| Autumn | Spring | Summer | Rationale |
| Year 8 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Understanding Drama Theatre Skills | Devising Drama Titanic | Texts in practice Curious Incident |
Year 8 comprises of three schemes of work that further develops understanding of Drama. Students develop and learn new drama skills and start to gain an understanding on some theatre history and different styles of performance, something that is useful for Component 2 Devising at GCSE. Students continue to develop their characterisation skills, having the opportunity to play a wide range of roles and consider how meaning can be communicated which also supports Components 2 and 3 at GCSE.
The Autumn SOW focuses on understanding Drama and Theatre skills, developing drama skills learnt in Year 7 such as narration as well as learning new skills such as choral speaking / movement. Students also learn about Theatre history and different styles of performance such as Commedia Del’arte and Pantomime. They also explore a Shakespeare extract for assessment.
The Spring SOW focuses on devising drama from a stimuli, develops improvisation skills and builds further on drama and characterisation skills.
The summer SOW covers text in practice, where students explore a play text bring extracts from ‘page to stage’ as well as exploring off-text scenarios with improvisation skills. Characterisation skills continue to be developed. This supports the study of a play text at GCSE for Component 1.
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| Content covered
| Exploration of theatre skills, themes, styles and theatre history.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will explore different styles of performance and learn about theatre history.
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will devise improvisations and explore script work looking at a range of styles and skills.
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others –students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback.
| Exploration of a true-life historical event – Titanic.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will respond to a variety of stimuli for creating drama and developing characterisation.
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will perform improvisations in response to the stimulus to create and explore the characters and the context of the story as well as expand on their drama skills in performance.
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others – students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback.
| Exploration of a play text – ‘The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time’ by Mark Haddon and Simon Stephens.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will bring extracts of the play ‘from page to stage’ as actors and director, exploring how physical and vocal skills communicate meaning on stage
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will perform both extracts and off text improvisations to explore the characters and the context of the play
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others –students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback
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| Assessment
| Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | ||
| Literacy focus
| Exploration of a variety of Greek myths, exploring Shakespearean language and extracts of Shakespeare text. | Researching facts and information about Titanic, researching real life characters on board Titanic. | Exploration of the play text ‘The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time’ by Mark Haddon and Simon Stephens. | ||
| Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Students will explore morals in Greek myths, relationships and the historical context of different theatre styles such as Commedia Del’Arte and Pantomime. | Students will explore the issues of social class, social injustice, and moral dilemmas. | Students will explore relationships, human behaviour, diversity and learn about autism. | ||
| National Curriculum links / GCSE connections | GCSE component 1 – Understanding Drama GCSE component 2 – devising drama
NC – Speaking and listening (en1) | GCSE component 2 – devising drama
NC – Speaking and listening (en1) | GCSE component 1 – Understanding Drama GCSE Component 3 – Texts in Practice NC – Speaking and listening (en1) |
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| Autumn | Spring | Summer | Rationale |
| Year 9 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Texts in practice Blood Brothers | Understanding Drama Theatre in Education | Devising Drama Tilda Jenkins |
Year 9 comprises of three schemes of work that prepare students for the option to study GCSE Drama.
The Autumn SOW focuses on the set text studied at GCSE Drama, Blood Brothers (GCSE Drama Component 1 and 3)
The Spring SOW covers theatre knowledge and understanding Drama (GCSE Drama Component 1)
The summer SOW covers devising drama in response to a stimulus (GCSE Drama component 2)
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| Content covered
| Exploration of a play text – Blood Brothers by Willy Russell.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will bring extracts of the play ‘from page to stage’ as actors and director, exploring how physical and vocal skills communicate meaning on stage
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will perform both extracts and off text improvisations to explore the characters and the context of the play
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others –students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback
| Exploration of theatre skills, themes, styles and practitioners
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will explore different styles of performance and the role of theatre in education
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will devise and perform improvisations to explore the themes, styles and skills explored. They will explore how to create theatre in education
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others –students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback | Exploration of a true-life crime used as a stimulus for devising drama.
AO1 - create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance. AO3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed Students will respond to Tilda’s statement as a stimulus for creating drama and developing characterisation
AO2 -Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance – students will perform improvisations in response to the stimulus to explore the characters and the context of the story
AO4 - Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others –students will be encouraged to both peer and self-evaluate as well as respond to teacher feedback | ||
| Assessment
| Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | Analysis and evaluation of their own work (AO4) and teacher assessment on the ‘5 Cs of Drama’ (AO1 and AO3)– mark out of 20/grade 9-1 End of term performance assessment (AO2) – grade 9-1 | ||
| Literacy focus
| Exploration of the play text ‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy Russell | Exploration of the work of Bertolt Brecht and Konstantin Stanislavski. Use of monologue and research sources | Exploration of a statement/the words of a person who has committed a crime. | ||
| Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Students will explore issues of social injustice, religion, fate, superstition and class | Students will explore options/making choices, morals in fairy tales, road safety, peer pressure, relationships, our dependence on technology and the historical context of practitioners. | Students will explore the issues of justice/punishment, domestic violence and relationships | ||
| National Curriculum links / GCSE connections | GCSE component 1 – Understanding Drama GCSE Component 3 – Texts in Practice NC – Speaking and listening (en1) | GCSE component 1 – Understanding Drama GCSE component 2 – devising drama
NC – Speaking and listening (en1) | GCSE component 2 – devising drama
NC – Speaking and listening (en1) |
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| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | Rationale |
| Year 10 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Component 1 and component 2 | Component 1 and component 2 | Component 1 and component 2 | Component 1 and component 2 | Component 1 and component 2 | Component 1 and component 2 |
Throughout Year 10, students are guided through Component 1- ‘knowledge and understanding of Drama’ through the teaching of Area of Study 1 – the exploration of a set text and Area of study 2 – the analysis and evaluation of live theatre production.
Component 2 – ‘devising drama’ is completed throughout the course of Year 10.
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| Content covered
| Baseline assessment – monologues (AO2)
*Component 1: Students -Exploration of set text – Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. (AO3) will bring extracts of the play ‘from page to stage’ as actors and director, exploring how physical and vocal skills communicate meaning on stage. They will also explore the design elements of a production and how these communicate meaning. They will apply these practical explorations to their written responses, learning how to formulate their response in the written exam. -Students will explore a live performance (AO4). They will learn to evaluate and analyse both the acting and design of live performance and explore exam techniques.
| Component 2 – devising Drama
Students devise drama and refine practical skills leading to an assessed performance.
*Continuation of Component 1
| Component 2 – devising Drama
Students devise drama and refine practical skills leading to an assessed performance
*Continuation of Component 1
| Component 2 – devising Drama
Students devise drama and refine practical skills leading to an assessed performance.
*Continuation of Component 1
| Component 2 – devising Drama
Devising Drama coursework is completed in the form of a Devising log.
*Continuation of Component 1
| Component 2 – devising Drama
Devising Drama coursework is completed in the form of a Devising log.
*Continuation of Component 1
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| Assessment
| Baseline monologue performances | Component 1 devising begins. |
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| Devising mock performance exam.
Devising performance exam – filmed and internally assessed.
Devising log written coursework. | Devising log written coursework. | ||
| Literacy focus
| Monologues. Reading of set text. Exploration of script work. | Exploration of stimuli. | Using Devising log to record rehearsals | Using Devising log to record rehearsals | Guidance of how to write the coursework / Drama language booklets. | Guidance of how to write the coursework / Drama language booklets. | ||
| Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Stimuli explored allows links to some PSHCE topics. | Stimuli explored allows links to some PSHCE topics. | Stimuli explored allows links to some PSHCE topics. | Stimuli explored allows links to some PSHCE topics. |
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| Links to GCSE syllabus /AO | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | ||
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| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | Rationale |
| Year 11 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Component 1 and component 3 | Component 1 and component 3 | Component 1 and component 3 | Component 3 | Component 1 |
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Throughout Year 11, students continue to be guided through Component 1- ‘knowledge and understanding of Drama’ through the teaching of Area of Study 1 – the exploration of a set text and Area of study 2 – the analysis and evaluation of live theatre production.
Component 3 – ‘texts in practice’ is completed this year with students rehearsing two extracts and bringing them from ‘page to stage.’
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| Content covered
| *Component 1: Students -Exploration of set text – Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. (AO3) will bring extracts of the play ‘from page to stage’ as actors and director, exploring how physical and vocal skills communicate meaning on stage. They will also explore the design elements of a production and how these communicate meaning. They will apply these practical explorations to their written responses, learning how to formulate their response in the written exam. -Students will explore a live performance (AO4). They will learn to evaluate and analyse both the acting and design of live performance and explore exam techniques.
| Component 3 – Texts in Practice – students work in groups to work on bringing two script extracts from page to stage ready for an external examination in Spring 2.
*Continuation of Component 1 | Component 3 – Texts in Practice – students work in groups to work on bringing two script extracts from page to stage ready for an external examination in Spring 2. | Component 3 – Texts in Practice – students work in groups to work on bringing two script extracts from page to stage ready for an external examination in Spring 2. | *Continuation of Component 1 until the written exam.
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| Assessment
| Component 1 written work as homework. | Component 1 written work as homework. |
| Visiting examiner for Component 3 performances – practical.
| Written GCSE exam paper |
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| Literacy focus
| Texts in practice – scripts
Set text exploration
Live Theatre text exploration | Texts in practice – scripts
Set text exploration
Live Theatre text exploration | Texts in practice – scripts
Set text exploration
Live Theatre text exploration | Texts in practice – scripts
Set text exploration
Live Theatre text exploration | Set text exploration
Live Theatre text exploration |
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| Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Some scripts allows links to some PSHCE topics. | Some scripts allows links to some PSHCE topics. | Some scripts allows links to some PSHCE topics. | Some scripts allows links to some PSHCE topics. |
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| Links to GCSE syllabus /AO | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 |
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