Drama

Key Stage 3

At Nicholas Breakspear drama aims to engage and inspire students to develop a love of performance, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As students’ progress, they develop a critical engagement with different types of theatre, acting and role-play. Students will develop key skills such as team building, confidence, leadership and communication as well as performance skills and analysis and evaluation.

In line with references to the National Curriculum the teaching of Drama at Nicholas Breakspear aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Learn role-play and other drama techniques to enable students to identify with and explore characters. In these ways, they extend their understanding of what they read and have opportunities to try out the language they have listened to.
• Contribute to the quality of pupils’ writing by providing opportunities for pupils to develop and order their ideas through playing roles and improvising scenes in various settings.
• Become more familiar with and confident in using language in a greater variety of situations, for a variety of audiences and purposes.
• Reading, re-reading, and rehearsing poems and plays for presentation and performance give pupils opportunities to discuss language, including vocabulary, extending their interest in the meaning and origin of words. Use drama approaches to understand how to perform plays and poems to support their understanding of the meaning.

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Key Stage 4

In years 10 and 11 Students study with the exam board OCR. The topics that covered are:

• Devising Drama
• Presenting Play Scripts
• Reviewing Live Theatre
• Performance and response

The written exam consists of an exam paper lasting 1 hour 30 minutes worth 40% of the overall grade.

For further information regarding the specification and example exams please follow the link:

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/242630-specification-accredited-gcse-drama-j316.pdf

Key Stage 5

Drama advanced level is not only for students who wish to pursue a career on stage or behind stage. The course offers opportunities for students to develop their transferable and interpersonal skills. This course has great links with Art subjects, Media, English or Psychology.

Component 1: Theatre Workshop – 20% Of Qualification

Students will be assessed on either acting or design. Students participate in the creation, development and performance piece of theatre based on a reinterpretation of an extract from a text chosen from a list supplied. Along with this performance the students will produce a realisation of the performance or design and a creative log.

Component 2: Text In Action – 40% Of Qualification

Students will be assessed on either acting or design. Students participate in the creation, development and performance of two pieces of theatre based on a stimulus supplied:

1. Devised – using the techniques and working methods of either an influential practitioner or a recognised theatre company (different practitioner from component 1)

2. An extract from a text in a different style chosen by the learner

Component 3: Text In Performance- 40% Of Qualification 

Section A and B – This section is a written exam. Two questions based on two different texts, one written pre 1965 and one written post 1956.

Section C – The question is based on the specific extract from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time, Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens.

Learning Methods And Assessment

Learning is primarily through a practical approach supported by written assignments and discussions

Component 1: Theatre Workshop– Research, development, performances and evaluation all assessed

Component 2: Text in Action– Visiting examiner will come and watch live theatre performance or students will give a 5-10 minutes’ presentation of designs

Component 3: Text in Performance – Students will have a written exam 2 hours 30 minutes