Drama and Performing Arts

Year 7

Curriculum Intention:

In year 7 many students have little or no prior experience of formal Drama lessons, although they may well have experienced being part of a performance. The course is designed to start with a sense of familiarity in the use of Roald Dahl source material, so that students can enjoy early success and will feel more motivated. As the year unfolds the subject matter becomes increasingly challenging in terms of skills required and topics covered, frequently linking back to the familiar to help students to feel grounded and secure in their exploration of Drama. All the skills identified for each unit link to the GCSE specification or wider social, moral, spiritual and cultural issues, often encompassing all of these aspects.

Musical Theatre is embedded to support the development of students’ skills in this area. Librettos are used to enable students to identify key aspects of the music curriculum, such as notation, key signatures, tempo and dynamics. School of Rock is used at the end of the course to encourage an aspirational view of Music as a subject.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Roald Dahl Revolting Rhymes Skills – Team building, roles within a team esp. directing, public speaking, narration, stagecraft	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Macbeth (This coincides with the English dept. timing for Macbeth) Skills – vocal, projection and articulation, script writing, memorising lines, proxemics, communicating meaning	20^th April – 18^th May Stanislavski ‘The Method’ Monologue or stage design Skills – imagination, understanding Stanislavski’s principles e.g. naturalism, fourth wall, connecting to the character, hot seating
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Matilda	24^th Feb – 30^th March Harry Potter	1^st June – 13^th July School of Rock Skills – musical theatre, ensemble, production elements including costume, light and sound design.
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students will develop in confidence and be able to demonstrate this by engaging with increasingly sophisticated techniques as the year progresses. By the end of year 7 all students should be able to speak in front of an audience and will understand how this skill can be adapted to everyday situations.

Employability skills:

Students will understand the importance of speaking in front of others and communicating key information. They are reminded that this will be invaluable in a situation where they are in charge or in an interview.

Year 8

Curriculum Intention:

Year 8 students start with at least one year’s experience of Drama, and as such have the core values and expectations of the subject embedded in their learning experience. The year starts with a more challenging approach, asking students to consider characterisation, devising and writing a script. These are all necessary components of the GCSE course and this early experience is intended to assist students as they begin to formulate ideas for the future, including whether or not they wish to continue past year 9. As in year 7, all units link to the GCSE specification or wider SMSC issues.

Musical Theatre still plays an integral role, with librettos again being used to address the musical aspect of Performing Arts and allow students to consider whether Music might be of interest to them in the future as a GCSE option.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Status, Script writing, Develop a story, Improvisation Skills – improvisation, status, extended writing (monologue or duologue), SMSC relating to wider world, flashback, kitchen sink drama, marking the moment	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Shakespeare in action – character profile ‘Caliban’ Skills – ensemble, soundscape, special effects	20^th April – 18^th May Brecht ‘Political Theatre’ devising Moral plays, Grimm Tales – Hansel and Gretel Skills – epic theatre, alienation, narration, breaking the fourth wall, third person, gestus, screen writing from a story
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th The power of social media Skills – responding to a stimulus, cannon and unison, ensemble, physical theatre, movement to music	24^th Feb – 30^th March What Happened to Lulu Skills – SMSC, problem solving, creative solutions, imagination, mime, conscience alley	1^st June – 13^th July High School Musical Skills - musical theatre, ensemble, production elements including costume, light and sound design.
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students will be able to demonstrate increasingly sophisticated skills and techniques as the year progresses. Some of these may be edging towards GCSE standard, and this will be acknowledged through departmental praise and rewards (e.g. postcard home, invitations for trips). Students should also be able to articulate how and why the study of Drama is relevant to making progress in other subjects, e.g. by improving presentation skills.

Employability skills:

Students will understand the relevance of Drama to the wider world and will thus be better prepared to present themselves for employment opportunities.

Year 9

Curriculum Intention:

In year 9 students are expected to demonstrate a mature approach to Drama by engaging with a broad repertoire of skills and techniques introduced to them over the previous two years at STM. For this reason we are able to start the year with more difficult and complex techniques such as monologue and flashback. Students are also asked to consider how a person’s behaviour can have an impact on their future and ways to alter this impact where necessary. Where a new topic is introduced its relevance to GCSE is made explicit, so that students are able to make an informed choice about whether or not Drama would be an appropriate choice for them in year 10.

Year 9 is also the last opportunity to use Musical Theatre to convey the variety of aspects in Performing Arts. Students also use skills and techniques relevant to Dance at GCSE, so that all aspects are covered.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Ricki Brown Skills – hot seating, role on the wall, flashback, meeting/ monologue, future outcomes, definitions, learning questions	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Stanislavski Blood Brothers ‘University’ and Finale scene Skills – building relationships, developing character, proxemics, movement memory, stage presence, duologue, marking the moment	20^th April – 18^th May Two weeks cross-curricular to show why drama is still worth doing Responding to a stimulus Improvisation Performing from a script Write a review of live theatre Skills – leadership (directing), working as a team (production company), unison and canon, connecting with an audience, stagecraft revision
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Homelessness project Skills – ensemble, multi-media, SMSC, movement to music, direct address	24^th Feb – 30^th March Brecht ‘Too Much Punch For Judy’ Skills – as above plus comedy/tragedy, duologue, monologue, physical theatre, hot seating, interview, dramatic irony, gestus, tempo/ rhythm, written response – live review	1^st June – 13^th July Devising- response to a stimulus
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students will demonstrably be able to showcase a variety of dramatic techniques in their assessments and be able to explain how to use the relevant skills in other subject areas, e.g. presentation.

Employability skills:

Techniques learnt in Drama are beneficial in a number of areas including, but not limited to, interview technique and presentation skills.

Year 10

Curriculum Intention:

Year 10 students in the September 2019 cohort are the first to embark on GCSE Drama (the previous year groups having completed BTEC Level 2 courses). To fulfil the criteria for GCSE Drama students must: AO1 Create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance, AO2 Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance, A03 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed, and AO4 Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others.

To this end the course is divided into three components: 1 Devising, 2 Performance from text, and 3 Theatre Makers in practice. Year 10 begins with component 1, which (with a 40% weighting) is usually the component students find most challenging. It is for this reason that a larger portion of year 10 is dedicated to this component with the other units addressed more latterly and in greater detail in year 11. Component 3 is also woven in at other strategic points in the year.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Devising	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Devising	20^th April – 18^th May Performance from a text
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Devising	24^th Feb – 30^th March Performance from a text	1^st June – 13^th July Theatre Makers in Practice
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students will meet the assessment objectives outlined above and should meet the criteria for progressively higher grades within each assessment area.

Employability skills:

The course provides opportunities to develop skills relevant to the performing arts sector as well as other desirable qualities such as confidence. Collaborative work and presentation are also at the forefront of the work produced in Drama.

Year 11

Curriculum Intention:

‘Designed specifically for schools, BTEC Tech Awards are brand new Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications for first teaching in September 2017. Complementing GCSEs and providing a first glimpse into a professional sector, these qualifications assess students through assignments and tasks (including performance) rather than traditional exams.’ – BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts specification.

The BTEC Tech Award is designed to allow learners to build skills that show an aptitude for further learning in the performing arts sector and more widely.

In year 11 students will need to:

AO1 Understand how to respond to a brief

AO2 Select and develop skills and techniques in response to a brief

AO3 Apply skills and techniques in a workshop performance in response to a brief

AO4 Evaluate the development process and outcome in response to a brief

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Acting Styles	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Unit 3 Performing to a brief	20^th April – 18^th May
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Mock exam (unit 3)	24^th Feb – 30^th March Unit 3 Performing to a brief	1^st June – 13^th July
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students will be able to meet the objectives set out above with increasing levels of sophistication, as set out in the grading criteria for the BTEC Tech Award specification.

Employability skills:

‘BTECs are vocational qualifications…Students develop knowledge and understanding through applying their learning to work-related contexts, and gain the skills they need for further study and employment.’ - BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts specification

Year 12

Curriculum Intention:

‘The Extended Certificate is for learners who are interested in learning about the performing arts sector alongside other fields of study, with a view to progressing to a wide range of higher education courses, not necessarily in performing arts. It is designed to be taken as part of a programme of study that includes other appropriate BTEC Nationals or A Levels.’ – Pearson

There are four units to be covered for the Extended Certificate, two are externally assessed and two are internally assessed. Unit 1 (external) is signposted at various points throughout the course as historically students have found this unit the most challenging.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Unit 2 Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Unit 3 Group Performance Workshop	20^th April – 18^th May Unit 19 Acting Styles (Introduction) Unit 1 Investigating Practitioner’s Work (Introduction)
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Unit 2 Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance	24^th Feb – 30^th March Unit 3 Group Performance Workshop	1^st June – 13^th July Unit 19 Acting Styles (Introduction) Unit 1 Investigating Practitioner’s Work (Introduction)
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

A number of performances and performance logs that review and evaluate the development of skills and techniques for a live performance with reference to knowledge developed from all learning aims, presented using relevant techniques, for example digital, recorded.

Employability skills:

‘BTECs embody a fundamentally learner-centred approach to the curriculum, with a flexible, unit-based structure and knowledge applied in project-based assessments. They focus on the holistic development of the practical, interpersonal and thinking skills required to be able to succeed in employment and higher education.’ - Pearson

Year 13

Curriculum Intention:

The curriculum is designed to support progression to higher education or training. The units are delivered as 1 internal and 1 external in each of years 12 and 13, allowing re-sit opportunities where needs are identified. For Unit 1 students must:

AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of contextual factors that influence work of performing arts practitioners

AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding of how contextual factors influence the creative intentions and themes of performing arts practitioners

AO3 Apply critical analysis skills to develop and demonstrate understanding of performance, production and repertoire

AO4 Be able to apply an effective investigation process to inform the understanding of the work of performing arts practitioners, communicating independent judgements

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Unit 19 Acting Styles	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Unit 1 Investigating Practitioner’s Work (external exam)	20^th April – 18^th May
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Unit 19 Report Writing	24^th Feb – 30^th March Unit 1 Investigating Practitioner’s Work (external exam)	1^st June – 13^th July
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

In addition to this students will sit a 3 hour exam for unit 1, in which they must meet the assessment objectives as outlined above.

Employability skills: