Drama
Staffing In Drama
Drama is taught by two full time specialist teachers Mr Wallis and Ms Dewing and some KS3 lessons are taught by English and Drama teachers Ms Merrifield, Miss Pitt, Ms Jackson and Mr Quick.
We are a dynamic and creative team of adults, who communicate effectively, feel supported to deliver challenging and insightful lessons to engage and enable students to reach their potential and make progress.
Aims of The Department
The Department has seen lots of change since last year and we now have one new full time teacher as well as two new part time teachers in the department. Behavior for learning has been strength of the department for a long time and we will ensure that this remains the case with our new members of staff. As we are a department that shares good practice, we are confident of being able to continue with this.
The Department has seen lots of change since last year and we now have one new full time teacher as well as two new part time teachers in the department. Behavior for learning has been strength of the department for a long time and we will ensure that this remains the case with our new members of staff. As we are a department that shares good practice, we are confident of being able to continue with this.
The last year Drama has seen a vast improvement in results due to the key processes implemented in KS3 and the new challenging curriculum, set for KS4. We will continue to work towards making results even better over the coming years with lessons providing a wide variety of strategies, mediums and elements for pupils to learn about and implement into the work they create. Pupils will upload work produced under controlled conditions to Fronter, enabling all pupils to complete all Drama GCSE portfolio and coursework in exam conditions.
Over the last year the department has continued to create links within the community and the wider Performing Arts profession, giving our students a sense of responsibility within their community through performances like Pantomime which is performed for the local Primary schools and the wider public. We have developed strong links with the National Youth Theatre and different professional organisations. Our aim is to raise the aspiration of our pupils through contact with professional organisations which will give pupils the best preparation for life after Cumberland.
Through Drama, pupils contribute to the department and the wider community. The Drama and Performing Arts department runs clubs all year round for pupils to get involved in. Last year we performed the pantomime, “Aladdin”, accompanied by the Music department. We also performed Christmas songs and had a sing along with audience participation. The performance was open to all pupils of the school community and family and friends of the pupils involved.
We have created links within the local community that have given our pupils the opportunity to perform to the local old people’s home and local primary schools. Our pupils were extremely proud of the role they played within the local community last Christmas and we hope that we establish more links like these to place our school community at the heart of the local community.
The summer performance gave the opportunity for Key Stage 3 pupils to perform in the play “The Siege” and once again residents from the local community were invited to a special viewing of the show.
As well as these large scale performances pupils are given the opportunity to perform to peers and parents throughout the year, contributing to our school community. Pupils are rightly proud of their talent and commitment.
Drama plays a key role in developing pupils’ workplace and other skills that will contribute to their economic wellbeing. In Key Stage 3 pupils are regularly asked to go into role as professionals ranging from police officers to circus performers. Pupils are encouraged to speak from a different perspective and use professional language to make decisions. This technique, known as the mantle of the expert, gives the pupil a safe environment to explore a range of careers and character situations, helping them to gauge the degree of interest in different professions.
Pupils think creatively and work as part of a team in every lesson across both Key Stages. Personal Learning and Thinking Skills have been placed at the core of learning, providing pupils with transferable skills that they can use in the real world.
Over the last year the department has continued to create links within the community and the wider Performing Arts profession, giving our students a sense of responsibility within their community through performances like Pantomime which is performed for the local Primary schools and the wider public. We have developed strong links with the National Youth Theatre and different professional organisations. Our aim is to raise the aspiration of our pupils through contact with professional organisations which will give pupils the best preparation for life after Cumberland.
Through Drama, pupils contribute to the department and the wider community. The Drama and Performing Arts department runs clubs all year round for pupils to get involved in. Last year we performed the pantomime, “Aladdin”, accompanied by the Music department. We also performed Christmas songs and had a sing along with audience participation. The performance was open to all pupils of the school community and family and friends of the pupils involved.
We have created links within the local community that have given our pupils the opportunity to perform to the local old people’s home and local primary schools. Our pupils were extremely proud of the role they played within the local community last Christmas and we hope that we establish more links like these to place our school community at the heart of the local community.
The summer performance gave the opportunity for Key Stage 3 pupils to perform in the play “The Siege” and once again residents from the local community were invited to a special viewing of the show.
As well as these large scale performances pupils are given the opportunity to perform to peers and parents throughout the year, contributing to our school community. Pupils are rightly proud of their talent and commitment.
Drama plays a key role in developing pupils’ workplace and other skills that will contribute to their economic wellbeing. In Key Stage 3 pupils are regularly asked to go into role as professionals ranging from police officers to circus performers. Pupils are encouraged to speak from a different perspective and use professional language to make decisions. This technique, known as the mantle of the expert, gives the pupil a safe environment to explore a range of careers and character situations, helping them to gauge the degree of interest in different professions.
Pupils think creatively and work as part of a team in every lesson across both Key Stages. Personal Learning and Thinking Skills have been placed at the core of learning, providing pupils with transferable skills that they can use in the real world.
Assessment For Learning
The Drama department aim to deliver effective and personalised feedback that will lead to pupils understanding how to improve their work and feel consistently supported in doing so. The feedback and marking is relevant to the Drama specialism and reflects the constraints that the Drama team work within. In KS3 pupils attend one hour of Drama per week and the Drama department is constantly looking at how we can best deliver feedback that will be retained and used by the pupil to improve.
Feedback is given orally in all lessons and pupils are supported in what they need to do in order to produce their best on a consistent basis. Peer assessment is used in most lessons and group work is a vital tool for pupils to model good work and demonstrate high level thinking skills.
Each KS3 pupils is assessed each half term using the Drama assessment criteria. Each assessment focuses on different aspect of the Drama criteria. In the lesson following assessment, pupils evaluate the work produced in the assessment and give themselves a target based on the level received and the feedback from the teacher. The target is agreed with the teacher and the pupil notes the level and target in their planner for future reference. The levels are then transferred by the class teacher on to the school’s information management system at the end of each half term.
Once per term the assessment for each class will be recorded and used for evaluation and evidence purposes. The class teacher will go through each group performance and rehearsal process, highlighting good work and identifying room for improvement. A DVD helps to support pupil progress and gives them a whole new perspective on the work produced.
The Drama department aim to deliver effective and personalised feedback that will lead to pupils understanding how to improve their work and feel consistently supported in doing so. The feedback and marking is relevant to the Drama specialism and reflects the constraints that the Drama team work within. In KS3 pupils attend one hour of Drama per week and the Drama department is constantly looking at how we can best deliver feedback that will be retained and used by the pupil to improve.
Feedback is given orally in all lessons and pupils are supported in what they need to do in order to produce their best on a consistent basis. Peer assessment is used in most lessons and group work is a vital tool for pupils to model good work and demonstrate high level thinking skills.
Each KS3 pupils is assessed each half term using the Drama assessment criteria. Each assessment focuses on different aspect of the Drama criteria. In the lesson following assessment, pupils evaluate the work produced in the assessment and give themselves a target based on the level received and the feedback from the teacher. The target is agreed with the teacher and the pupil notes the level and target in their planner for future reference. The levels are then transferred by the class teacher on to the school’s information management system at the end of each half term.
Once per term the assessment for each class will be recorded and used for evaluation and evidence purposes. The class teacher will go through each group performance and rehearsal process, highlighting good work and identifying room for improvement. A DVD helps to support pupil progress and gives them a whole new perspective on the work produced.
The Drama Curriculum
The Drama Curriculum in Year 7
In Year 7 pupils study Drama for 1 hour a week and undertake six units of work, including:
The Drama Curriculum in Year 7
In Year 7 pupils study Drama for 1 hour a week and undertake six units of work, including:
· Introduction To Drama
· Anancy
· Darkwood Manor
· Circus
· Commedia Del Arte
· Writing For Performance
The Drama Curriculum in Year 8
In Year 8 pupils study Drama for 1 hour a week and undertake six units of work, including:
· The Party
· Genre
· Leaving Home
· Titanic
· Hamlet
· Writing For Performance 2
The Drama Curriculum in Year 9
In Year 9 pupils study Drama for 1 hour a week and undertake six units of work, including:
· Heaven and Hell
· Charge
· Soap Opera
· Drugs
· Oedipus
· Writing For performance 3
The Drama Curriculum in Year10
In Year 10 pupils study Drama for 2 hours a week. Pupils follow courses offered by Edexcel and QCA and undertake six units of work, including:
· Introduction to GCSE
· Forum
· Fame
· Bouncers
· Tell me why
· Paper 1 GCSE
The Drama Curriculum in Year 11
In Year 11 pupils study Drama for 3 hours a week. Pupils follow courses offered by Edexcel and QCA and undertake five units of work, including:
In Year 11 pupils study Drama for 3 hours a week. Pupils follow courses offered by Edexcel and QCA and undertake five units of work, including:
· Paper 1 GCSE Portfolio
· Paper 2 GCSE
· Paper 2 GCSE Portfolio / Begin Paper 3
· Paper 3 rehearsal process
· Paper 3 Exam
Attainment In Our Department
Results at end of Key Stage 4 (A*-C)
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2008
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2009
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2010
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2011
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GCSE
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60%
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36%
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23%
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64%
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