Drama & Theatre Studies
The aim of the Drama curriculum is to foster creativity and encourage students to express themselves through various dramatic forms, providing opportunities for them to explore and develop their creative abilities, as well as allowing them to communicate ideas and emotions through the dramatic arts. We give access to a broad and creative Drama curriculum, which embeds skills and knowledge of performance, as well as providing broader access in terms of direction, design and technical aspects of theatre. There is a sensible progression of knowledge, understanding and skills from KS3 to GCSE to A level and similar approaches to assessment, so that students will have a coherent experience of their study and skills development.
Drama has a special place in the Challoner’s community, benefiting not only those students who pursue it as an academic subject, but enriching the educational experience of the school as a whole with the diversity and creativity that it brings. Drama students therefore have a central and important role to play in the life of the school.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)
The KS3 Drama curriculum focuses on communication, collaboration and creativity. It is intended to both prepare students for KS4, and to provide a foundation of transferable skills in presentation, performance and the use of physical and vocal skills. Achieved through a variety of approaches including presentation, improvisation, rehearsal and performance, the programme of study covers elements of the history of theatre, performance skills, theatre practitioners, devising and the interpretation of texts.
Areas of study include:
- Storytelling in performance
- Theatre History
- Commedia Dell’Arte
- Physical and vocal skills in performance
- Stanislavsky
- Brecht
- Exploring text in Performance
- Performing and devising techniques
- Performing Arts (Y9)
Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11 GCSE)
Drama GCSE
Students study the Pearson Edexcel (9-1) Drama Specification which comprises 3 components: creating a devised piece of theatre and a written portfolio (40%), performance (20%), and a written examination that includes the study of a performance text and evaluation of live theatre (40%), covering the perspectives of the performer, the director, the designer and an informed member of an audience. It is an exciting mixture of both academic and practical work that equips students with a wide range of transferable skills.
Performing Arts Enrichment
Year 10 students are required to take an enrichment course alongside their GCSE programme of study. The Performing Arts course, derived from the BTEC qualification, is an option that allows students to pursue a Drama element regardless of whether they have chosen GCSE Drama or not.
Students work as part of a group to contribute to a performance or viewing as either a performer, producer/director or designer in response to a given brief. The performance or design skills will vary depending on the chosen performing arts discipline, which could be a play, short film, dance or musical theatre, and the content of the work and target audience. Students complete a reflective journal documenting the process and effectiveness of their final pieces against the initial brief and creative intentions. A combination of their practical work and their reflective journal will determine a pass, merit or distinction.
Students present their practical work in a celebration evening at the end of the course to showcase their work, and receive certification.
Key Stage 5 (Years 12-13 A Level)
The study of Drama and Theatre at A level is designed to engage students through encouraging creativity, focusing on practical work which reflects 21st-century theatre practice and developing skills that will support progression to further study of drama and a wide range of other subjects. Students are normally required to have gained at least a Level 6 in Drama or English GCSE to be eligible to take this course at A Level.
Students study the Pearson Edexcel A level in Drama and Theatre, which comprises 3 components: devising an original performance piece and a written portfolio (40%: internally examined, externally moderated); a group and an individual performance (20% - externally examined); and a written examination that includes practical exploration of two plays and how they might be performed, and an evaluation of live theatre (40% - externally examined).
The specification focuses on the practical exploration of performance texts, including exploring them in light of the work of significant theatre practitioners such as Complicite, Berkoff and Artaud, and expects the student to approach the subject from multiple perspectives: that of the performer, the director, the designer and an informed member of an audience.
Students will develop a multitude of skills, including collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and an understanding of how to amend and refine work. The approach we take is designed to reflect the changing world, so that students increase their awareness of, and ability to engage with the social, cultural and historical aspects of their own and other societies through the study of the development of the history of ideas and theatre practitioners, enabling a smooth transition to their next level of study or employment.
A Level Drama and Theatre Specification
Co-curricular activities
- Drama Clubs For Years 7-9
- Senior Play
- Junior Musical
- Senior Musical
- Summer Play
- Theatre trips
- Student Theatre Technicians Team for Stage, Lighting and Sound