Intent
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 and appreciation 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 Drama, and RSL for Post 16 Creative and Performing Arts, as we believe the content of the courses 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.
Learning Journey
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’.
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.
The RSL Creative and Performing Arts course is vocational and directly relates to working as an actor in the performing arts industry. Students will study seven units across two years, one of which is marked externally by the exam board. Six units are performance based and allow students to develop a range of acting skills linked to film, television and theatre. Part of the course requires all students to see a live theatre performance and this will be organised by the department.
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