Drama

Music and Drama are all around us. They provide the soundtrack to our lives and reflect our personal experiences through live performance, theatre, film and television. They connect us through people and places in an ever-changing world.

The aim of our Drama curriculum is to foster and develop skills including creativity, collaboration and confidence by performing, creating, analysing and evaluating drama from a range of sources and styles.

We celebrate the success of students in concerts and through extra-curricular activities and challenge students’ pre-conceived ideas of culture in the world around us.

We aim to enhance the whole school community through the sheer joy of creation. We help to develop skills of empathy and understanding through exploration of concepts and big ideas and creating a life-long love of the arts, friendships, bonds and experiences that will not easily be forgotten.

Our Curriculum Intent

At Kibworth Mead Drama remains an important part of the balanced arts curriculum and is taught extensively as a discrete arts subject in Years 7, 8 and 9. Students have the opportunity to explore and research ideas, using a variety of drama skills and techniques. They develop their creativity and knowledge of drama from different times and cultures, as well as classic and contemporary practice by preparing and performing both scripted and devised pieces. They have the opportunity to reflect on, evaluate and analyse the structure, meaning and impact of their own work and the work of others as both participant and audience. Our curriculum provides a strong basis for continuing to study drama in further and higher education, incorporating communication and performance skills.

Our Big Ideas

The major themes that run through drama:

Awareness of key skills and conventions, including key practitioners ( Brecht and Stanislavski).
Understanding of ‘off script’ performances including, improvisation.
Devising using a range of source material, including fiction and non-fiction (abstract Art, War poetry and newspaper articles).
Exploring theatre from specific times throughout history ( melodrama, Commedia Dell Arte, Frantic assembly).
Prepare and perform a variety of publish plays including.
Explore and perform Shakespeare plays ( Macbeth, A midsummer night’s dream).
Develop student’s ability to use technical aspects of theatre including; lighting, sound and set design.
Critical analysis of own performance, characters and other students work.

Key Stage 3

During KS3 students cover a range of areas of study: Workshop Skills, Devising, Theatre History, Set texts and Production.

In Year 7 the foundation skills are covered including a comprehensive knowledge of key skills and conventions.

In Year 8, the same areas of study are covered and are developed by studying them within the context of specific genres.

In Year 9, the same areas are covered, however, the curriculum is tailored to create a pathway into KS4.

Students have 1 hour of Drama on a bi-weekly basis.

Key Stage 4

AQA GCSE Drama

At Kibworth Mead, students may choose to take Drama as an option at KS4, receiving 6 lessons per fortnight.

The AQA GCSE contains 3 components, each of which focuses on different elements of drama. Throughout the course, students build on the skills they have developed throughout KS3 to explore both script and devised performance work. Students will explore ideas through practical work, developing more detailed character work and advance on a multitude of soft skills such as confidence, collaboration and communication skills. Students will also have regular theory lessons preparing them for the written element of the course, which includes a 1 hour and 45 minute exam that is completed near the end of year 11.

Component 1: Understanding Drama

What’s assessed

Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre

Study of one set play from a choice of six

Analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers

How it’s assessed

Written exam: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Open book

80 marks / 40% of GCSE

Component 2: Devising Drama

What’s assessed

Process of creating devised drama

Performance of devised drama (students may contribute as performer or designer)

Analysis and evaluation of own work

How it’s assessed

Devising log (60 marks)

Devised performance (20 marks)

80 marks in total / 40% of GCSE

Component 3: Texts in Practice

What’s assessed

Performance of two extracts from one play (students may contribute as performer or designer)

Free choice of play but it must contrast with the set play chosen for Component 1

How it’s assessed

Performance of Extract 1 (20 marks) and Extract 2 (20 marks)

40 marks in total / 20% of GCSE

	Component 2		Component 3		Component 1
		Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Year 10		Introduction to GCSE Component 2:Devising skills Performing	Devising, research and development Trinity external exam	Component 3: Performance skills (monologues + Dialogues.) Mock performance.	Component 1 – Section C: Live theatre performance Performance and design skills	Component 1, Set Play Section A Section B	Component 2: Devising research and development ( in preparation for year 11)
Year 11		Component 2: Devising skills Performing Logbook completion	Rehearsals and work-in progress performance Component 1: Set Play	Rehearsals and work-in progress performance Component 1: Live theatre performance	Component 3: Visiting examiner performance	Component 1: Revision of Sections A, B and C Component 1: Mock examination Component 1: Summer examination	Written examination