The Joseph Rowntree School

KS3 - Drama

Curriculum Knowledge

 

Year 7: Students begin with learning the basic key skills in Drama. Beginning with Story-telling; using their creativity/imagination skills to create characters, using their performance skills to bring them to life on stage. We then focus on Narratives and this leads us to texts such as Christmas Carol, The Pied Piper and A Midsummer Night’s Dream; all which differ in context and genre to fully stretch and challenge all learners and their understanding of the text. In-between we focus on the styles of Mime and Greek Theatre which practically prepares students on stage, working collaboratively and focusing more on Greek chorus elements to ensemble work. These skills are applied to a devising scheme at the end of the academic year.

 

Year 8: Students begin building on physical skills introduced in Year 7 with a focus on ensemble/chorus group work with Flannan Isle, moving onto an introduction into Comedy focusing on 3 key stylistic topics. Students then recap key skills and be able to verbalise their use of the skills to create effect. In the Spring term we introduce a 2nd Shakespearian text in collaboration with English curriculum, primarily focusing on the characterisation, the analysis of script work and genre. SMSC is heavily instilled into the Soap Opera scheme where students also are challenged with roles/responsibilities within a production team alongside script writing. Finally students end the term with Technical theatre, a SOW designed for students to consider the other elements of theatre and broaden their sense of drama. 


Year 9: The Year 9 curriculum provides SOW’s designed to prepare students for the demands of the GCSE Drama spec. Students start with an exploration into a GCSE set text, which they continue into Year 10 if they opt for Drama as a GCSE. This is followed with an exploration into AQA GCSE styles/practitioners including Frantic Assembly’s Physical Theatre and Verbatim Theatre with a focus on Capital Punishment. In the Spring term, students then have the opportunity to devise in groups and further extend their improvisation skills; both essential for GCSE Drama. The curriculum ends with a focus on GCSE theatre practitioners, where students are introduced and challenge learning a range of styles and methodology of key theatre makers. They can progress with this knowledge into Year 10 and further build upon it. Recapping skills throughout the year, students will begin to complete extended writing in line with GCSE expectations to prepare them for the next step in their Drama education.

 

Skill Development

 

Subject Specific Skills:

  • Develop pupil resilience, creativity, independence in learning and the ability to work as a team by providing students with theatrical/performance opportunities. 
  • Creativity and a nature to become open minded to new tasks. 
  • Developing self-regulation skills

 

Wider Academic Skills / Attributes:

  • Develop logical thinking and problem solving skills. 
  • Group work tasks allow students to build their confidence as a leader and interpersonal skills. 
  • Developing reflective learning

 

Personal Development - SMSC & Cultural Capital (Opportunities / Experiences)

 

  • Develop cooperation and the appreciation of others efforts
  • Working with different plays/genres/styles allows students to become more open-minded and consider cultural, social and historical aspects.  
  • Challenging tasks enable all group members to have a role, a responsibility for their group’s progress giving them direction and developing leadership skills. 
  • Engaging with professionals 
  • Experiencing Live Theatre performances
  • Developing confidence, extra-curricular opportunities to build friendships across the school
  • Involvement with Vaudeville productions
Go Top