Click here for the Drama Curriculum Map

Content 

Drama forms part of the enrichment programme in Year 7 and offers students the opportunity to develop performance skills.

Drama is taught in Year 8 and Year 9 (1 lesson as part of the two-week timetable).  The focus of lessons is to use drama to develop students’ creativity, confidence and ability to collaborate effectively. In conjunction with these skills, students develop an understanding of the principles of drama and an awareness of how drama communicates to an audience. Study of Drama in Year 8 provides an introduction to the skills and demands of the GCSE course.

Assessment, Marking and Feedback 

Students are assessed termly in drama and over the course of the year, these assessments cover the three key components of Creating and Developing, Performing and Evaluation and Understanding

Assessment grids

Please click here for the KS3 assessment grid for Drama

Content 

The Eduqas GCSE Drama has three components:

Component 1 - Devising Theatre (Acting or Design Option)

Non- exam assessment: internally assessed, externally moderated

40% of qualification

Learners participate in the creation, development and performance of a piece of devised theatre using either the techniques of an influential

theatre practitioner or a genre, in response to a stimulus set by the examination board.

Learners must produce:

• a realisation of their piece of devised theatre;
• a portfolio of supporting evidence;
• an evaluation of the final performance or design.

Component 2 – Performing from a Text (Acting or Design Option)

Non-exam assessment: externally assessed by a visiting examiner

20% of qualification

Learners study two extracts from the same performance text chosen by the centre. Learners participate in one performance using sections of text from both extracts

Component 3: Interpreting Theatre

Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

40% of qualification

Section A: Set Text (The Tempest, William Shakespeare)

Section B: Live Theatre Review (Students will be required to analyse and evaluate a given aspect of a live theatre production seen during the course.)

Assessment, Marking and Feedback

Students are assessed regularly throughout the course beginning with shorter focused tasks and developing into larger, more demanding assignments in preparation for all areas of the final GCSE assessment. Feedback is provided both verbally and in writing for both written and practical elements of the course.

Assessment Grids

Please click here for the Eduqas GCSE Drama Component 1 Assessment Grid

Please click here for the Eduqas GCSE Drama Component 2 Assessment Grid

Specification

Please click here for the Eduqas GCSE Drama specification 

Content 

The Pearson Edexcel A Level Drama and Theatre consists of three components.

Component 1: Devising (Non- examination assessment 40% of the qualification)

Students are required to:

• Devise and perform an original performance piece;
• Use one key extract from a performance text and a theatre practitioner as stimuli;
• Performer or Designer routes available;
• Create a supporting evidence portfolio between 2500-3000 words.

Component 2: Text in Performance (Non-examination assessment 20% of the qualification)

Students are required to participate in:

• A group performance/design realisation of one key extract from a performance text;

• A monologue or duologue performance/design realisation from one key extract from a different performance text.

Component 3: Theatre Makers in Practice (Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes – 40% of the qualification)

Content overview

• Live Theatre evaluation
• Practical exploration and study of a complete performance text – focusing on how this can be realised for performance.
• Practical exploration and study of another complete performance text, in light of a chosen theatre practitioner – focusing on how this text could be reimagined for a contemporary audience

Assessment, Marking and Feedback 

Component 1

Component 1 is internally assessed and externally moderated. Students are required to create the performance independently with the teacher in a facilitating role. The portfolio is completed independently (with supervision) and can be submitted once in a draft version for teacher feedback before its final submission.

Assessment Grids

Please click here for the Assessment Criteria for Portfolio

Please click here for the Assessment Criteria for Devised Performance – performers

Please click here for the Assessment Criteria for Devised Performance – designers

Component 2

Component 2 is externally assessed by a visiting examiner. The teacher in preparation for this component will work in a directorial role for the group performance and a facilitating role for the monologue or duologue performance.

Assessment Grids

Please click here for the Assessment Criteria for Group Performance – performers

Please click here for the Assessment Criteria for Group Performance – designers

Please click here for the Assessment Criteria for Mono/Duo Performance – performers

Please click here for the Assessment Criteria for Mono/Duo Performance – designers

Component 3

Component 3 is marked externally. Students will receive regular feedback and assessment in preparation for the demands of the written examination.

Specification 

Please click here for Pearson and Edexcel A Level Drama and Theatre Specification

Advice

Students of Drama are advised to broaden their experience of Theatre as much as possible. That includes as an audience member or as a performer or designer. Developing the breadth of their knowledge and understanding has a direct impact on students’ ability to analyse and evaluate Drama which is a key component of both the GCSE and A Level course. Students should be aware that the study of Drama will require significant time commitment to ensure collaborative projects are successful. It is also essential that students record evidence regularly in the development of devised performance to ensure they have the detail required to complete portfolio tasks. Exam technique is also a vital area of study and students must take all opportunities to develop their response to examination questions.

Past papers

There are currently no GCSE Past Papers available due to a change in the set texts for examination in June 2024.

Click here for A Level past papers.

Useful external links

GCSE Bitesize Drama:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/drama/drama_wjec/

Shakespeare’s Globe Fact Sheet:

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/discovery-space/fact-sheets

The National Theatre YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/NationalTheatre

Potential careers

• Arts/theatre administration
• Arts journalism
• Director
• Actor
• Designer
• Playwright
• Stage management
• Theatre management
• Theatrical agent
• Technician
• Broadcasting
• Media presenting
• PR/Marketing
• Education
• Drama therapy
• Scriptwriting

Clubs

• KS3 Drama Club - Wednesday lunchtime PAS
• Tech Crew (For those interested in providing technical support for school events) - Tuesday break time PAS

Trips and visits

‘In the last academic year we have attended ‘Othello’ (Frantic Assembly at The Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith), ‘The Woman in Black’ (The Fortune Theatre, London), ‘Noughts and Crosses’ (The Rose Theatre, Kingston) and ‘Oklahoma!’ (Wyndham's Theatre, London).