Brilliant ‘Steps to Success’ Options performance by @theatre...
Teachers will be setting work for each teaching group on Show My Homework, intended to provide a reasonable curriculum. All work will be set for online submission, with students saving work and using the Submit Work feature on SMHW.
Faculty Vision: All Barnwell School Expressive Arts students are given the opportunity to experience creativity both inside and outside the classroom, whilst enabling students to develop a cultural understanding of the world around them.
Drama National Curriculum: Pupils should be taught to speak confidently, audibly and effectively, including through improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact.
As a Drama department, we follow the Pearson/Edexcel exam board for GCSE and A Level Drama, as we believe the content of the course allows students to practically explore all elements, before analysing and evaluating these skills within their written work. We feel that this process works well for the students at Barnwell, as they thrive within a vocational setting, therefore gaining a deeper knowledge overall. These elements are embedded into the KS3 curriculum from Y7-Y9.
The Learning Journey may be downloaded by clicking the image.
In years 7, 8 and 9 students study a variety of themes, issues, skills and play texts.
Drama lessons in Year 7 focus on developing communication, building self-confidence and establishing key vocabulary. In Year 8, students explore significant social and historical events through Drama, and Year 9 students experience a taste of the GCSE course using Naturalistic and Abstract theatre styles.
The study, appreciation and analysis of play texts is vital for KS3 students in Drama. Year 7 currently explore ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, Year 8 focus on ‘Bugsy Malone’ and Year 9 perform and design scenes from ‘Blood Brothers’.
KS3 Subject: |
Y7 Content |
Y7 Key Assessment |
Y8 Content |
Y8 Key Assessment |
Y9 Content |
Y9 Key Assessment |
Autumn 1 |
Spy School |
Performance assessment |
Time Machines |
Performance assessment |
‘Teechers’ |
Scripted Performance assessment and short answer exam questions |
Autumn 2 |
Pantomime |
Performance assessment |
Modern Legends |
Performance assessment |
Teenage Knife Crime |
Devised Performance assessment and research task |
Spring 1 |
Darkwood Manor |
Performance assessment |
Silent Movies |
Performance assessment |
'Blood Brothers' |
Scripted Performance assessment and short answer exam questions |
Spring 2 |
Friendships |
Performance assessment |
Bugsy Malone |
Performance assessment |
Missing People |
Devised Performance assessment and characterisation task |
Summer 1 |
Forbidden Island |
Performance assessment |
Dr Faustus |
Performance assessment |
Trapped |
Devised Performance assessment and research task |
Summer 2 |
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory |
Written assessment focused on Knowledge and Understanding |
Murder Mystery |
Written assessment focused on Knowledge and Understanding |
'The Play That Goes Wrong' |
Scripted Performance assessment and short answer exam questions |
At GCSE, students are introduced to the theoretical aspects of the subject and use the skills that they have developed throughout Key Stage 3 to explore a play text in its entirety, which is linked to the written exam. Students complete two performance exams; one of which is based on a script and marked by a visiting examiner, and the other is a devised performance which is created by the students. The devising performance is 40% of their final grade and includes a written portfolio. Part of the course requires all students to see a live theatre performance and this will be organised by the department.
KS4 Course: |
Y10 Content |
Y10 Key Assessment |
Y11 Content |
Y11 Key Assessment |
Autumn 1 |
Key Drama skills Style & Genre Conventions Characterisation Mock Component 2: Scripted Performance |
Summative Unit Test: Scripted performance assessment |
Component 3: Set Text ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly and Live Theatre Review |
Summative Unit Test: Practice exam paper
Final draft of Component 1 written portfolio |
Autumn 2 |
Mock Component 1: Devising - 'The Book Thief' |
Summative Unit Test: Devising Performance and written portfolio. |
Component 2: Scripted performance exam prep |
Summative Unit Test: Mock Component 3 exam and mock Component 2 exam
|
Spring 1 |
Component 3: Set Text ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly and Live Theatre Review |
Summative Unit Test: Practice exam questions |
Component 2: Scripted performance exam |
Summative Unit Test: Final Component 2 exam – visiting examiner
|
Spring 2 |
Mock Component 2: ‘Girls Like That’ and ‘Blackout’ |
Summative Unit Test: Scripted performance assessment |
Component 3: Set Text and Live Theatre Review revision |
Summative Unit Test: Mock Component 3 exam |
Summer 1 |
Component 1: Devising exam prep |
Formative Unit Test: Devising Performance interim assessment |
Component 3: Set Text and Live Theatre Review revision |
Summative Unit Test: Component 3 practice paper |
Summer 2 |
Component 1: Devising exam and written portfolio (coursework) |
Summative Unit Test: Devising Performance exam and written portfolio. |
Component 3: Set Text and Live Theatre Review revision |
Summative Unit Test: Component 3 exam |
Further details about our GCSE course can be found here.
A Level Drama and Theatre has a clear progression from the GCSE course, with the study of three components linked to performance, play texts and practitioners. Students will study four plays in detail, two of which will form the written exam and the remaining texts are performed to a visiting examiner in Year 13. A devised performance and written portfolio will be created as part of the coursework, which makes up 40% of the final mark. Part of the course requires all students to see a live theatre performance and this will be organised by the department.
KS5 Course: |
Y12 Content |
Y12 Key Assessment |
Y13 Content |
Y13 Key Assessment |
Autumn 1 |
Mock Component 1: Devising linked to a range of theatre Practitioners and script extract |
Formative Unit Test: Devising performance assessment |
Component 3 Set texts: ‘That Face' by Polly Stenham and ‘Woyzeck’ by Georg Buchner with Steven Berkoff practitioner links
Live theatre review |
Summative Unit Test: Practice exam paper
Final draft of Component 1 written portfolio |
Autumn 2 |
Mock Component 1: Devising performance and written portfolio |
Summative Unit Test: Devising Performance exam and written portfolio. |
Component 2: Group script performance and monologue/duologue performance prep |
Formative Unit Test: Mock Component 3 exam |
Spring 1 |
Component 3 Set texts: ‘Machinal' by Sophie Treadwell and ‘Woyzeck’ by Georg Buchner with Steven Berkoff practitioner links
Live theatre review |
Summative Unit Test: Practice exam questions |
Component 2: Group script performance and monologue/duologue performance prep |
Formative Unit Test: Component 2 mock exam |
Spring 2 |
Mock Component 2: Monologues and duologues script |
Summative Unit Test: Scripted performance assessments |
Component 2: Group script performance and monologue/duologue performance prep
Component 3: set texts/Live theatre review exam paper revision |
Summative Unit Test: Mock Component 3 exam
Component 2 exam – visiting examiner |
Summer 1 |
Component 1: Devising exam prep – 'Stockholm' by Bryony Lavery with Frantic Assembly |
Formative Unit Test: Devising Performance assessment |
Component 3: set texts/Live theatre review exam paper revision |
Summative Unit Test: Component 3 practice paper |
Summer 2 |
Component 1: Devising exam and written portfolio (coursework)
|
Summative Unit Test: Devising Performance exam and written portfolio. |
Component 3: set texts/Live theatre review exam paper revision |
Summative Unit Test: Component 3 exam |
Further details about our A Level course can be found here.