Drama and Performing Arts

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS

Engaging, emotive and explorative. Drama at The Sir John Colfox Academy means performing scripts, devising plays, and analysing theatre. It's a chance to explore the world and key issues, develop communication and teamwork skills, and prepare for life post education.

Across each key stage, we focus on developing and extending core skills, engaging a love of theatre and learning, and developing life skills that will be useful in any walk of life.

KS3 OVERVIEW

In KS3 we focus on learning the basics in the three main areas of drama: devising, working with scripts and analysing and evaluating theatre. While learning about these areas we will continue to develop key skills such as facial expressions, body language, posture, proxemics, etc. Our topics are used to teach these skills in dynamic and exciting ways and develop each skill further over the school year.

In Year 7 our topics are; Superheroes and Roald Dahl which focus on character creation, Page to Stage and Scripts which look at creating and using scripts for performance, Stanislavski and Analysing performance which look at a practitioner and how to discuss them when analysing theatre.

In Year 8 our topics are; Physical Theatre and Pantomime which develop devising skills in set styles, Scooby Doo and Script Writing which focus on developing storylines and characters as well as script writing formats, and As An Actor and Live Theatre which focus on key techniques an actor uses in performance and how to analyse these.

KS3 also now covers the foundation year for Year 9 in both Performing Arts and Drama.

In Performing Arts we look at core skills in a range of disciplines such as dance, drama and musical theatre. We focus on developing in depth self-evaluation and analysing repertoire as needed if pupils decide to follow this course until the end of Year 11. The aim is to diversify their skills and techniques from drama alone in lower KS3, and develop their understanding of the core principles and knowledge for performing arts.

In Drama we continue the cycle focused on devising, script and analysis work but this is taught to a higher level with much more intricate focus. We use well known and abstract scripts in order to stretch understanding of performance skills and ways in which actors interact with texts, and we teach written analysis skills in depth with a focus on the exam at the end of the GCSE in Year 11.

KS4 OVERVIEW DRAMA GCSE

Exam Board: Eduqas

Component 1 – Devising Theatre. Non-exam assessment: internally assessed, externally moderated 40% of qualification

Component 2 – Performing from a Text. Non-exam assessment: externally assessed by a visiting examiner 20% of qualification

Component 3 – Interpreting Theatre. Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes 40% of qualification

Drama is designed to be a practical, engaging and creative way for students to study. It will provide opportunities to examine drama and the work of others, to explore a range of drama as a practical art form, and to work independently to create their own drama performances making informed artistic choices.

The course allows students to study drama in an academic setting, interrogating this art form and applying their knowledge and understanding to the process of creating and developing drama and to their own performance work.

Students will take part in 2 pieces of coursework which will require a performance and a written portfolio and a standalone performance, and one written exam based on our set text and a live theatre review.

KS4 OVERVIEW PERFORMING ARTS BTEC

Exam Board: Pearson, BTEC Tech Award

Component 1 - Exploring the Performing Arts. Assessment type: Internal. Guided learning hours: 36

Component 2 - Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts. Assessment type: Internal. Guided learning hours: 36

Component 3 – Responding to a Brief. Assessment type: External. Guided learning hours: 48

The Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts is designed to allow students to acquire technical knowledge and technical skills through vocational contexts by studying acting, dance or musical theatre as part of their Key Stage 4 learning. The main focus is on four areas of equal importance, which cover the; development of key skills, process that underpins effective ways of working in the Performing Arts, attitudes that are considered most important in the Performing Arts and knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in the sector.

Students will take part in 2 pieces of coursework which will require them to focus on examining performance repertoire and on developing their own core skills, and an exam which requires a professional level performance and supporting written work created in 3 hours in a computer room under examination conditions.

KS5 OVERVIEW

The Edexcel A Level Drama and Theatre course is an exciting combination of practical exploration of performance texts, theoretical approached to creating, evaluating and staging drama and opportunities to see and perform in live theatre pieces. There is a strong focus on contemporary playwrights and practitioners, as well as traditional, historical texts.

Building on skills learnt at GCSE, Drama and Theatre A Level gives students an opportunity to develop as performers, designers and critics. This A Level will be an asset to anyone wanting to study this subject at a higher level as well as those wishing to pursue other career options including Law, Teaching, Media, English and many others.

Year 12 consists of; introducing a range of practitioners and developing their coursework performance piece and accompanying portfolio, as well as gaining key knowledge and understanding of the texts studies for the exam in year 13.

Year 13 consists of; developing and performing both a monologue and a group performance piece for a visiting examiner and preparing for the written exam at the end of the year.