Drama

Overview

Creativity and communication are qualities which we strive to nurture at Ballyclare High School, not least through drama and performance. In Year Eight and Nine pupils are timetabled for a weekly drama class. Much of the value of these classes is pastoral as pupils are encouraged to build on their interpersonal skills and grow in confidence throughout the two years. Pupils can also pursue an academic pathway in performance; beginning, in Year Eleven, with GCSE Drama and progressing to Drama & Theatre Studies at AS/A2 Level. Pupils have showcased their practical work in Youth Action, the Waterfront Studio and The Courtyard Theatre.

Junior pupils also have the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular drama, with a weekly meeting of the Junior Drama Club after school, culminating in two performances for parents during the academic year. The annual musical production has become a highlight for many, involving pupils from throughout the school in roles both on stage and off. Past productions include Les Misèrables, Beauty and the Beast and The Addams Family, and several of our pupils have gone on to perform in professional theatre including the West End.

Curriculum

In A level Drama and Theatre (WJEC) the knowledge, skills and understanding acquired at GCSE level will be broadened and developed. There is still a substantial practical element, 60% of the final assessment, and the detailed study of set texts forms a key component of the course. In addition, pupils will have the opportunity to formally appraise drama seen out of the classroom and to study some of the theory behind the art of performance. The course content covers many theatrical genres and pupils will study texts in terms of both their performance and their social and cultural contexts. Throughout the course pupils are exposed to new, exciting forms of theatre and are encouraged to become familiar with local theatre companies such as Bruiser and Tinderbox by visiting their performances.

The study of AS level makes up 40% of the overall A2 grade, with the final 60% being completed in Year 14.

Examining Board: WJEC

AS Unit 1– Theatre Workshop

24% of qualification
Practical
Re-interpretation of an extract
Accompanying Creative Log / Evaluation

AS Unit 2– Text in Theatre

16% of qualification
Exam
A series of questions based on one set text

A2 Unit 3– Text in Action

36% of qualification
Performance of two pieces
One devised piece
An extract from a text in a different style
Accompanying process and evaluation report

A2 Unit 4 – Text in Performance

24% of qualification
Exam
Two set texts

Teaching Methods

Teaching methods include a balance between practical work in the Drama Suite and the classroom delivery of the more theoretical aspects of the course. Within this, pupils will have the opportunity to work with their peers in researching and presenting topics to the class making full use of the school’s ICT facilities. There is also the opportunity to appraise live and recorded drama and to use recording equipment for self-appraisal. Assessment of progress is through formative work such as essays and presentations, as well as contribution to workshop activities. Formal assessment is through coursework (supporting notes) and assessment of preparation and performance of the final practical piece. Due to the nature of the course, there will also be the opportunity to visit theatre productions outside of school in a variety of venues such as the Grand Opera House, Belfast and the Abbey Theatre, Dublin and to work with visiting theatre professionals such as Slingshot Theatre Company and Phoenix Dance Theatre.

GCSE Drama is an exciting academic subject that balances the study of traditional scripted drama with the practical application of strategies to devise more modern pieces. Pupils are given the opportunity to see theatre productions at local theatres such as The Mac and Theatre at the Mill, and to attend workshops led by theatre professionals in various disciplines such as Commedia Dell’Arte and Dance Drama. We follow the CCEA examination course which aims to “develop an appreciation of the communicative power of drama in performance”. It builds on the key skills introduced in Drama in Years 8 and 9 and grounds them in a more sophisticated and academic arena. The course is designed to allow pupils to bring their own skills and interests to their work; although experience in performing outside school is useful, it is not essential as all relevant skills are delivered throughout the two-year course.

Course Content

Pupils study one set text from both an academic and performance perspective, exploring it through practical means as well as researching contextual and design aspects. This forms the basis of one section of the external examination, where pupils write about a design element and about the application of drama strategies (eg. hot-seating, freeze frame) in the development of role.

Two practical units are over the two years giving pupils the opportunity to work with scripts and to devise their own work. In Year Eleven the devised unit is performed to visiting primary pupils. Scripted performance involves the selection and research of a piece of established work which is showcased to parents and an external moderator in the final term of Year Twelve.

The course is strongly practical and involves working closely with others. Pupils are expected to make time for rehearsal outside of class as part of their homework. A commitment to both the practical and academic demands of the subject is essential.

Assessment

Pupils are assessed throughout Years 11 & 12.

The two practical units make up 60% of the final grade. Pupils are marked on preparation (including contextual research), performance and appraisal.

The written examination, which makes up the other 40% of the assessment, is based on the set text and also asks for an assessment of the final scripted performance unit .

Pupils are expected to keep a Drama Notebook recording their learning experiences which contributes to their continuous assessment and is seen by an external moderator at the end of Year 12.

Teaching Methods

GCSE Drama is taught in the school’s fully equipped Drama Suite. Classes incorporate workshop style activities, research skills, group work, and examination skills. Pupils are encouraged to actively direct each other and appraise their own and others’ work. As part of their preparation for their internally assessed performances pupils are given the opportunity to design lighting and sound plots and consider aspects of stage and costume design.

Learning also takes place outside the classroom through workshops and visits to productions in venues such as the Grand Opera House and the Lyric Theatre. In Year 11, pupils have the opportunity to devise a Theatre in Education piece which is performed for local primary school pupils. In Year 12, they showcase their scripted work in a performance for family and friends.

Drama enables pupils to explore, develop and express ideas and concepts which will help them make sense of the world around them.

Drama is a life skill and a creative art form. It helps pupils develop their ability to communicate through voice, movement, gesture and facial expression. They can express and manage their thoughts and feelings – shared and experienced – while working in a safe and controlled environment. The development of these skills encourages self confidence and self awareness.

Drama promotes the development of the individual in a group context: roles and ideas are negotiated, problems solved and decisions made together.

Further information can be found at: http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/docs/key_stage_3/areas_of_learning/statutory_requirements/ks3_drama.pdf

Junior Drama is currently delivered in Year Eight and Year Nine, for 40 minutes per week, and pupils cover a variety of topics, texts and genres. They will knowledge and skills and will be given the opportunity for self-assessment and reflection at the end of each topic.

The junior curriculum is designed to allow the pupils as broad an experience of drama as possible and builds competences in key skill areas across the two years; beginning with the acquisition of basic skills and, finally, culminating in the use of those skills to create a sustained piece of drama for performance.

Term	Year Eight	Year Nine
1 Sept/Dec	• Personal Identity • Our Day Out	• Commedia Dell’Arte • A Christmas Carol
2 Jan/Mar	• Free!	• Theatre Styles
3 Apr/Jun	• Matilda	• Theatre Design/ Careers

Extra-Curricular

Every pupil in the school has an opportunity to contribute to extra-curricular drama. The Junior Drama Club have taken part in several performances including Annie Jr, High School Musical, and Oliver; as well as performing their own work- most recently a piece celebrating the history of pop music. The annual musical production involves pupils from throughout the school in roles both on stage and off. Whether performing, set-building, lighting or stage-managing it proves an unforgettable experience and instils values of teamwork and co-operation.

Strategies

Under the Revised Curriculum it is expected that pupils will already have some basic understanding of key drama strategies, if not the vocabulary to match. At KS3 the main strategies are:

HOT-SEATING- the pupil answers a series of questions while in role;

CONSCIENCE ALLEY- one person walks down through two rows of pupils who say the character’s thoughts out loud as they pass;

FREEZE FRAME – pupils create a frozen picture or ‘snapshot’ of a moment;

THOUGHT-TRACK- the pupil pauses and utters the character’s thoughts in role (useful after freeze frame).

TABLEAU- pupils create a held image. Different to freeze frame as it can be used to show an emotion, an idea or a variety of activities (more ‘arranged’ as opposed to frozen in action).

Productions

Over the years Ballyclare High School has staged numerous productions…