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Drama

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

Learning Journey Drama

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’.

Curriculum Map 

Year 7 & 8

Y7 and Y8

Y7 Content

Y7 Key Assessment

Y8 Content

Y8 Key Assessment

Topic 1

Spy School

Performance assessment

Time Machines

Performance assessment

Topic 2

Pantomime/Storytelling

Performance assessment

Silent Movies

Performance assessment

Topic 3

Darkwood Manor

Performance assessment

Bugsy Malone

Performance assessment

Topic 4

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Performance assessment

Scriptwriting

Performance assessment

Year 9

Y9

Y9 Content

Y9 Key Assessment

Autumn 1

‘Teechers’

Written exam questions

 

Autumn 2

Teenage Knife crime

Devised performance assessment

Spring 1

‘Blood Brothers’

Written exam questions

Spring 2

Missing People

Devised performance assessment

Summer 1

‘The Play That Goes Wrong’

Written exam questions

Summer 2

Trapped

Devised performance assessment

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 

Summative Unit Test: Devising Monologue Performance 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

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.

KS5

Course:

Cycle 1 Content

Cycle 1 Key Assessment

Cycle 2 Content

Cycle 2 Key Assessment

Autumn 1

Unit 310: Approaches to Acting

The study and application of theatre practitioners

Summative Unit Test: Reports on four theatre practitioners

Unit 315:

Elizabethan Theatre

Perform and evaluate Shakespeare scenes

Summative Unit Test:

Shakespeare performance scene 1

Autumn 2

Unit 310:

Approaches to Acting

Monologue or Duologue linked to selected practitioner

Summative Unit Test: Monologue/Duologue performance and Evaluation of performance

Unit 315:

Elizabethan Theatre

Perform and evaluate Shakespeare scenes

Summative Unit Test:

Shakespeare performance scene 2

Performance evaluation

 

Spring 1

 Unit 306:

Planning For a Career in Acting 

Research and planning career options linked to Performing Arts

 

Unit 307:

Acting for Camera

Understand and demonstrate screen acting skills

 

Summative Unit Test:

Screen acting research project

 

Unit 304E:

Performance Preparation

Plan and prepare a performance

 

Summative Unit Test:

Performance genre research project

Performance audition and evaluation

Spring 2

Unit 306:

Planning For a Career in Acting

Research and planning career options linked to Performing Arts

 

Unit 307:

Acting for Camera

Understand and demonstrate screen acting skills

Summative Unit Test:

Screen acting performance

Unit 304E:

Performance Preparation

Plan and prepare a performance

 

Summative Unit Test:

Rehearsal log/plan

Summer 1

Unit 306:

Planning For a Career in Acting

 

Unit 320:

Vocal Techniques

Develop and apply techniques for recorded vocal performances

 

Summative Unit Test:

Career research project

Career Action plan

Vocal techniques research project

 

Unit 311:

Audition Techniques

Developing practical auditioning skills

Summative Unit Test:

Two monologue performances

Improvisation task

Summer 2

Unit 320:

Vocal Techniques

Develop and apply techniques for recorded vocal performances

 

Summative Unit Test:

Vocal techniques performance

Evaluation of performance

Unit 311:

Audition Techniques

Developing practical auditioning skills

Summative Unit Test:

Sight reading task

Audition song in character

Further details about our Post 16 course can be found here.

 

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