Drama at Key Stage 3
Curriculum
One of the key purposes of Drama is to develop student’s in a wholistic way. Firstly we look to give them essential life skills that they can take into all other subject areas of the Academy, and importantly into the wider world, both during and after their time at our Academy. Various areas of work such as technology, law and even medicine and leaning more personal learning skills that are used in every drama lesson such as empathy, collaboration and problem solving, just to name a few. Students skills in critical thinking, communication and creativity are a cornerstone of what we do regularly in lessons and these will be vital skills as they get older.
The skills and techniques needed for KS4 study have been identified and our curriculum prepares learner’s ahead of this so that they explore vital concepts in KS3 study. Students explore different genres and practitioners through devising in a guided fashion so they are then able to use these skills in a more independent and creative way, like a useful toolbelt at their disposal. They also look at the fundamental skills needed for take a script “from page to stage” by learning about blocking, characterisation and intention to stage an extract in line with the author’s intentions.
We are always looking at ways to broaden a student’s Cultural Capital by broadening their horizons of what they understand performance to look like. This can be making connections through what they have explored in lesson and have seen themselves in their personal lives and in popular media. The curriculum is designed for students to make links with performances they are already aware of, but also to introduce them to content they may otherwise not engage with initially. Extra-curricular activities and trips also add to this, and through our links to establishments such as the Birmingham Hippodrome, students are provided with a variety of enrichment opportunities such as trips to the theatre, visiting practitioners to the Academy and involvement in performance projects both at the Academy and the professional performance spaces at the theatre also. Wherever possible, we look to take students further afield also to see performances and previous destinations have included theatre trips to Oxford and London.
Curriculum overview
Year 7 and 8
In Year 7 and 8 students cover the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum for Drama within the Literacy for Life curriculum.
Click here to see how and where Drama is integrated into this curriculum.
Year 9
In Year 9 students receive discreet Drama lessons in addition to some Drama skills being delivered within the Literacy for Life curriculum. Drama lessons are delivered on rotation with Music with groups receiving a one hour lesson per week for half a term. Students study practical drama in our purpose build theatre or studio.
Students will complete two terms in each subject of Art, Drama and Music. For the Drama topics, each one is a moveable component as they centre around different skill sets – Practitioners/Storytelling focus on Devised content, whereas Othello is script based. All students will complete the same content over the course of their two terms whenever they fall in the rotation, but Othello only begins in the Spring or Summer Term, which is during or after they have studied the play in English so they have the contextual understanding for exploring practically.
Students study significant drama practitioners in history by exploring the techniques and styles of devising, rehearsal and performance. Students explore three different practitioners of contrasting styles to begin to show the breadth of performance styles possible and how they have influenced contemporary performance.
Students explore Stanislavski and his naturalistic performance style, Brecht’s “Epic Theatre”, and Boal’s “Theatre of the Oppressed” before creating a final assessed piece which focuses on their choice of practitioner that they have studied.
KS4 Drama
Drama is an option subject that students can select at the end of Year 9 and begin studying in Year 10.
Please visit this page to learn more about the KS4 Drama course that we offer:
Tech Award Drama – West Bromwich Collegiate Academy (wbca.school)
yEAR 10 CURRICULUM (2022-23)
A study of leading drama practitioners, including Stanislavski, Brecht, Berkoff and Frantic Assembly.
Students complete research into the individual practitioner’s background and development of style, they learn practical techniques associated with each practitioner, watch professional works and then apply the techniques to scenes from various plays.
• To be able to identify techniques associated with key genres and practitioners.
• To be able to apply the techniques to practical work.
• To sustain the performance.
Focus Skills – Genres, Naturalism, Epic Theatre, Physical Theatre, Total Theatre, Research, and application skills.
yEAR 11 CURRICULUM (2023-24)
INTERNAL CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT: COMPLETION OF TASKS 1 AND 2
Students will recap over their chosen script from the ‘Investigating Texts’ scheme of work, including practical exploration of plot, characters, themes and writers’ intentions. Students will select a section of the text to perform in groups. They will practically experiment with different intentions, styles and approaches. Students will individually complete research into their chosen play, including the original intentions for the piece, target audience and historical context. This research will lead to a clear intention for their own performance. Students will explore different rehearsal techniques and learn how to create an effective rehearsal schedule, including the ability to allocate clear individual roles and tasks. By the end of this scheme of work students will have created a portfolio of notes to use when completing Unit One – Performing.
• To explore plot, structure, themes and characters within an existing script.
• To make informed decisions about which scene to perform, including artistic intentions and style.
• To complete research into the original play, including intentions and historical context.
• To create a rehearsal schedule that identifies clear roles within the group.
Focus skills – Plot, themes, structure, characterisation, genres, application of practitioners techniques, artistic intention, page to stage techniques, research, individual roles, rehearsal scheduling.
Year 10 Curriculum (2023-24)
A study of leading drama practitioners, including Stanislavski, Brecht, Berkoff and Frantic Assembly.
Students complete research into the individual practitioner’s background and development of style, they learn practical techniques associated with each practitioner, watch professional works and then apply the techniques to scenes from various plays.
• To be able to identify techniques associated with key genres and practitioners.
• To be able to apply the techniques to practical work.
• To sustain the performance.
Focus Skills – Genres, Naturalism, Epic Theatre, Physical Theatre, Total Theatre, Research, and application skills.
yEAR 11 CURRICULUM (2024-25)
INTERNAL CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT: COMPLETION OF TASKS 3 AND 4
