Drama
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The Drama curriculum at Stowmarket High School offers students the chance to develop key life skills such as collaboration, imagination, creativity, teamwork, communication, leadership and confidence. Students will also develop the skills needed to create, perform and analyse work, in order to succeed in Drama at all key stages and in the wider world.
Key Stage 3 Drama
Drama at Key Stage 3 aims to prepare students for their future by:
- Developing the key skills, which will aid them in all aspects of life, such as; confidence, teamwork, collaboration, creativity, imagination, etc.
- Preparing students for further study for the BTEC at KS4, with an equal focus on rehearsal discipline / contribution of ideas, performance skills and evaluative skills.
- Fostering enthusiasm, inclusivity, tolerance and an understanding of each other and themselves.
Year 7
In Year 7 the Drama curriculum focuses on core skills such as; socialisation, teamwork, collaboration, confidence, creativity and imagination. Students will also develop the skills required to create different characters and be introduced to basic drama skills (facing out, blocking, projection, vocal and physical expression, reading and writing a script).
Year 8
In Year 8 the Drama curriculum focuses on physicality, the voice and exploration of different theatre styles. Students will follow many different learning schemes which develop their physical performance skills and non-verbal communication. They will look at Masks, creating atmosphere and tension through melodrama and devising. They will also look at Shakespeare as part of our commitment as an RSC Associate school, and to prepare and support them for English GCSE.
Year 9
In Year 9, the Drama curriculum focuses on refining skills to support students’ interpersonal skills and the skills required for those who take it as an option. Students will study the key roles within theatre, theatre practitioners and explore a range of repertoires to prepare them for the BTEC Acting course at KS4. They will look at 2 different contemporary pieces of repertoire and respond to a stimulus (past exam brief) giving them the chance to use Drama exploratively and create their own work.
Key Stage 4 Acting
The vocational BTEC Acting qualification delivered at KS4, aims to prepare students for work in the Performing Arts industry. The intention is for students to have a good understanding of what makes effective theatre, how to compare different styles of performance, how to evaluate skills development, how to set comprehensive targets to further improve, how to develop characters for performance, how to work with script and devise work from a stimulus. KS4 Acting also looks to prepare students for further study at KS5 and again helps to further develop key life skills at a more advanced level.
Year 10
In Year 10 students will experience a range of different styles of theatre. They will watch professional repertoire, explore practically and carry out contextual research across a variety of theatre styles, they will then take one of these styles and use as part of their Component 1 exam. They will then take another of these styles and apply their knowledge to complete their work on Component 2. Students will learn to evaluate their progress and skills development, setting comprehensive targets and reviewing these. This will prepare students with the knowledge and skills they require to complete the externally assessed Component 3 in Year 11.
Year 11
In Year 11 students will develop the skills required to devise their own work creatively responding to a stimulus. Through doing this they will develop skills in a variety of styles which will further prepare them for KS5. They will also develop life skills such as collaboration, teamwork, creativity, leadership, etc.
