We aim to enable students to:
§ work co-operatively with respect for other students, their ideas and cultural backgrounds;
§ take on roles with empathy and confidence in improvisation and performance;
§ engage in discussion and evaluation of the work in progress and after completion;
§ participate in extra-curricular activities and enjoy visits to see live theatre.
TEACHING METHODS
At the start of every year we encourage the students to work together through trust exercises, collaborative games, different groupings and problem-solving tasks that require mutual respect and co-operation for success. There are a number of learning strategies used in mainly practical activities to involve the students in a variety of experiences. They are taught skills for developing, performing and evaluating dramatic situations, as well as being introduced to the history of theatre. In all key stages the students are provided with resources that include plays and related texts, relevant worksheets, assessment and topic guidelines, costumes and props.
ASSESSMENT
Apart from formal assessments to test skills in role play, improvisation, scripted drama and design projects, there are many occasions when the students evaluate their work through discussion and completion of self-assessment sheets with targets for improvement. In the upper school there is also written coursework in the form of essays, working notebooks, structured records, public examinations (A/AS level only) and marking of performances or design elements by external examiners.
 Drama Schemes of Work
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The Drama Curriculum
Students in year 7 study Drama every term. They have half a term of Dance and half a term of Drama.
In years 8 & 9 they have one lesson every week.
If they would like to continue studying Drama, students can choose it as one of their options in KS4.
At post-16 there is a Drama and Theatre Studies A Level course for our 6th form superstars.
HOMEWORK
At KS3 students are given homework as required, for research into particular topics or preparation for practical activities. For KS4 and 5 there are ongoing assignments based on the improvisation, text or design projects, which students develop into the appropriate form as stipulated by the examination board.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
While the school production is the largest event in the Drama calendar, we also run workshop sessions at other times and senior students are actively encouraged to attend rehearsals to improve their performances for examination pieces. Another way for the students to gain experience of Drama is, of course, through watching live theatre, so several visits are arranged every year to cover all age groups, with a variety of styles. Members of staff make themselves available to give further help and advice by arrangement with students who need assistance with their progress in lessons.
THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT SAFETY CODE
The auditorium/room is a much safer place to work if you follow this code:
Before the lesson starts you must:
1. always wait quietly and avoid blocking the corridor;
2. never go into a room without permission;
3. always walk into the room and never run or push anyone.
During the lesson you must:
1. always put your bag, coats, etc to one side of the auditorium, making sure that you don’t block any exits. In a classroom, put them under a table or where your teacher tells you to put them;
2. always follow the four S rules: Safety, Sensitivity, Silence, Stop;
3. always know exactly what you are doing. If not, ask your teacher;
4. always report an accident or breakage immediately;
5. never put anything in your mouth. Do not eat, drink or chew;
6. never interfere with equipment;
7. never sit on the tables unless you have permission to use them as items of set;
8. never remove or interfere with any safety notices.
At the end of the lesson:
1. always return any sheets to the front or take them with you;
2. always pick up your chairs and any other equipment you have used and put them away. In a classroom this might involve rearranging the room carefully;
3. always leave the auditorium/room clean and tidy.
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