Introduction
Drama equips pupils at The Warren School with life skills, spiritual, social and well-being and confidence. We provide all students with the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills to understand how Drama is used as a means of communication, enquiry and as an art form. Drama is an inclusive subject; students can access it, learn and achieve regardless of their ability.
We believe that the value of Drama and the Arts in education can enable students to use their emotional and imaginative experience as part of their personal, intellectual, social and cultural development
The Drama department has high expectations of all students’ attainment and personal conduct. We create an environment where there is an emphasis on success and potential, and where all individuals and their achievements are valued and celebrated.
We also offer a large range of enrichment opportunities for our students and our community with: clubs, theatre visits and whole school productions. We support and nurture talent and constantly look out for opportunities for our students to extend their experience e.g. working with theatre companies.
Our expectations:
The Drama department aims and beliefs are;
- …To foster creativity.
- …To be consistent and fair.
- …To have high expectations for ALL our students.
- …To encourage students to become independent learners.
- …To expect hard work, focus, and dedication.
- …To will deliver inspiring and imaginative lessons.
- …To celebrate all achievement.
Drama has links with the Music, Media, English, and Art departments
Students are offered a broad and balanced curriculum which encompasses a wide range of learning experiences and reflects the needs of the student. Our Year 7 curriculum exposes the students to a wide range of drama genres from Melodrama through to Physical Theatre. By Year 8, our students use a range of drama techniques to help their understanding of the issues, themes etc. Topics such as youth crime, play text, theatrical styles are explored. During Year 9 pupils continue to develop communication skills through group discussions and practical, but they also begin to investigate more challenging themes and issues through the process of Drama.
Using a range of drama techniques pupils have confronted and explored social issues and themes such as prejudice and racism. Pupils have been expected to reveal a more mature approach to each other’s opinions and have been given opportunities to experiment with challenging theatrical styles, such as surrealism. Schemes of learning range from theatrical styles, young people issues, different genres, and celebrity culture. All our KS3 lessons are designed to prepare students to a higher level and we mirror the content and structure of the GCSE Drama course that can be taken from Year 10
Throughout each topic, we set practical homework tasks
KS3 Dance:
Students are offered a broad and balanced curriculum which encompasses a range of learning experiences and reflects the needs of the student. Dance is taught as a module within the Drama Curriculum.
Our Year 7 curriculum exposes the students to dance genres such as Musical Theatre where they learn how to combine both dance and drama skills.
In Year 8 our students use a range of Hip Hop techniques such as Popping, locking and isolation to choreograph their own Hip Hop routines. Students also study a brief history of Hip Hop dance and its origins to help gain a greater
understanding of the dance style.
During Year 9 pupils continue to develop their dance skills through physical theatre and stage combat techniques. Students also begin to investigate more challenging themes and issues through the process of Dance.
Using a range of dance techniques throughout KS3 allows students to gain a wider understanding of different dance styles and become more confident with performance. Pupils have been expected to reveal a more mature approach to each other’s opinions and have been given opportunities to experiment with more complex theatrical styles, such as stage combat. All our KS3 lessons are
designed to challenge students in areas they may not have been exposed to before, allowing students to explore movement in a safe environment.
Throughout each topic, we set practical homework tasks and selected performances are included in the school showcases each term.
KS4 Schemes of Learning and Assessment in Drama
At Key Stage 4 students follow the Eduqas exam board. GCSE Drama is a creative course that allows students to explore the elements of Drama through discovery of play texts, topics, stimuli, practitioners, and prepares them as effective Drama students.
Year 10 begins to explore more in depth theatre styles and practitioners and the focus is replicating the exam that they take in the final year of the course. The focus on exploration, evaluation, practitioners, and play text is developed and there are opportunities to experience live theatre productions. Students complete their Unit one devising performance, an internally assessed unit that also has a devised written report in the Summer Term of Year 10
In Year 11 students prepare for Unit Two which is an externally assessed performance from a text that is performed back to a visiting examiner. The final Unit three gives students the opportunity to evaluate their own work as well as explore text and the roles of director, actor, and director in a written examination.
GCSE Drama offers a range of transferable skills to take into other sixth form subjects. As well as Drama and Theatre Studies, students also succeed at Law, Performing Arts, English Literature, Art, Music, Media Studies, and History and Sociology based subjects.
Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving
26% Grades 9-4 in Drama
Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 69% grades 9-4.
Throughout the course there are opportunities to go to watch live theatre as well as work with professional actors from the industry.
There is a KS3 Drama club which works on preparing pieces of Theatre for the Termly Showcases.
All students will be expected to complete homework which can be a range of tasks to enhance their learning, from research tasks to self-evaluations. There is an expectancy that students will need to manage their rehearsals after school and show commitment to themselves and their group work during these times.
KS3/4
Seeing as much live theatre as possible is hugely beneficial. Local theatres offer discounted tickets for students (Barking Broadway, Kenneth More, Queens Theatre, Stratford Circus, for example).
