Drama

At the School of Science and Technology, the aim of the Drama department is to help students explore the four Cs: Confidence, Communication, Collaboration and Creation. It is understood, that as well as being taught as a stand-alone subject in years 7 and 8, Drama should also be integrated with other subjects at SST, to help students explore their learning through praxis, and enable them to create their own individual and group projects which take their educational journey to the next level. 

The school’s ethos, where learning has no limits, is integral to the message that we aim to give every student in the drama department. We believe that to be able to give students a total education, Drama is essential to their development, outlined by the four Cs below. 

Confidence - Throughout key stage three the aim of the drama department is to instil a sense of confidence in the young people at SST, which (at the same time) never turns in to arrogance. It is well known that when students join us in year 7, they come to us from a variety of different backgrounds. Some children will know others within their form groups, whilst others will know no one else within the school. Drama is essential to their development and enables them to become confident in presenting work in front of an audience and delivering constructive feedback to their peers. It is also hoped that through close links with other subjects, students can communicate confidently about their learning across the school, whether that be through their learning in humanities or their learning in languages.  

Communication - Every school is committed to growth of knowledge, what sets SST apart is the ability that our students must communicate their learning through oracy skills. From the start of year 7, students will be asked to deliver constructive feedback of both their own work, and the work of others. Students will be given sentence starters to help them speak eloquently about work they are producing in lessons.  

It is also important that students gain the ability to communicate with each other. Through ensemble building activities, students will learn how to work effectively as part of a team. This will hopefully extend into group work in other subjects, as well as with students in other year groups. It is also important that as a department we communicate effectively with our students, and that we build an environment where student finds the Drama department a space where they can have honest conversations.  

Collaboration – Students will learn to collaborate with each other in their drama lessons. By randomly selecting working groups, we make sure that each student gets to work with every other member of their class. This ethos extends into work during co-curricular drama, where students will work with other students in different year groups. In the future, the drama department would also like to be involved in empower days which helps students to work across year groups on a larger scale.  

As well as student collaboration, the drama department has a strong desire to work collaboratively with other departments across the school. If students see departments working together and can see the links within their own learning then they two will see an education which has no limits. 

Creation – Bringing together Confidence, Communication and Collaboration is Creation. Throughout their time in the drama department, students will explore drama practically. All students will create and produce a piece of drama each term for assessment.  The aim is for this piece of drama to solidify their knowledge of key theatrical terms, as well improve their skills in producing a product intended for an audience. This is a transferable skill for any young person, one which will help them develop into mature young adults in the future. 

Year 7

• Teambuilding: Learning to work as an ensemble to create a short performance for an audience. 
• Once on this Island: Learning how Given Circumstances change the way we perform a piece of text. 
• Greek Theatre: Learning how the theatre of ancient Greece was created for early civilisation.
• Commedia dell’arte: Learning how physicality is used to create stock characters in theatre.   

Year 8

• Displaced people: Learning to use a stimulus to create a piece of Drama. 
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Learning how we can present a 16^th century text to a 21^st century audience. 
• Theatre in Education: Using theatre to educate an audience. 

Year 9

• Analysing text: Learning to analyse a performance text for an exam. 
• Presenting and performing texts: Students will present a piece of text to an audience.
• Devising theatre: Students will create a piece of drama from a stimulus. 

Split into 3 units: 

Unit: Practitioners and Devising theatre 

Students study the work of two major practitioners and then create a devised performance based on a stimulus and a practitioner of their choosing. Students will complete a portfolio of evidence to complement their own written work.

Unit: Presenting and performing texts

Students study texts in small groups and present their performance to an audience.

Unit: Analysing texts and performance

Students will study one text over the course of a year and be able to answer questions on it for their end of year exam. Students will watch a piece of theatre as a class and be able to complete a theatre review. 

Year 10 and 11

Students will study the GCSE course which is split into the following sections:

• Devising theatre (30% coursework)
• Presenting and performing texts (30% coursework) 
• Performance and response (40% written exam)

Year 12 and 13

Drama and theatre studies will be available for students at either A-level or BTEC level

Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3

Many students will not have been taught drama in a educational setting before. The first lesson of Key Stage 3 will always be about establishing rules and expectations for the drama classroom. 

Students will create class contracts which they will be expected to abide by in every drama lesson.      

Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4

Throughout the Key Stage 3 course of study, students will come across key words and phrases which will be of benefit to them should they choose to take drama through to the year 9 foundation year. Students will learn basic skills in the 4 main assessment areas for GCSE which will give them experience in creating their own work and evaluating the work of others. 

Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5

During the GCSE course, students are given an awareness of how the GCSE course is similar and different to the course at A-level. Students will have the opportunity to learn about different roles in the theatre which they will need to know for study at A-level and B-tech level. 

Beyond Key Stage 5

Students are given opportunities to look at different routes which can be taken in the performing arts. Students will be supported if they wish to apply to leading drama schools with support given through the application process as well as preparation for drama school audition pieces.  

Click here to view the Unit Plans for Drama.

Click here to view the Extended Curriculum Opportunities