The drama department consists of three full time members of staff. Our intention is to create young people who are able to question, make connections, invent and reinvent and to develop imagination.
Through a broad curriculum and excellent links with theatre, playwrights, directors, theatre companies and actors, we aim to develop students’ creativity and sense and understanding of cultural form and self-expression.
Key Stage 3 Curriculum
The curriculum for Years 7, 8 and 9 is skills based. We introduce students to a range of conventions, techniques, playwrights and practitioners over the first three years of their drama course.
Students are encouraged to use the skills they have developed to interpret and make sense of the world around them.
Please CLICK below to discover more about our curriculum
Key Stage 4 Curriculum
The department has two paths of progression available for students at Key Stage 4: Edexcel BTEC Extended Diploma in Performing Arts and GCSE Drama.
GCSE Drama:
Students develop a greater depth of knowledge of conventions, techniques and practitioners.
They study a range of playwrights, both in the classroom and through watching performance and participating in workshops.
Curriculum Outline:
Year 10
- Exploration of Naturalism
- Physical Theatre
- Production and Text work
- Devising
- Unit One exam (Drama exploration 30%)
Year 11
- Unit Two exam (Exploring playtexts 30%)
- Unit three (Performance Exam 40%)
Key Stage 5 Curriculum
Please refer to the Sixth Form subject page for our Key Stage 5 courses and entry requirements
Enrichment Opportunities:
The Drama Department is keen to encourage students, to participate in extra-curricular activities. We are keen to target students from a diverse range of groups, particularly ones that may shine in the curriculum and are probably hesitant to put themselves forward for extracurricular work.
Production work, Theatre visits, practitioner workshops and play writing form the core of our extra-curricular projects. We aim to produce two school productions a year, along with a range of one off events and clubs.
Off-site learning:
We actively encourage students to participate in local drama classes. These include Young company at the Tricycle theatre, CSSD summer schools and the Royal court young playwright group.
Trips to theatres are organised for KS4 and KS5 throughout the year, by the individual Drama teachers.
Additional Information:
Theatres with great education departments and interesting programming for young people include:
- Hampstead Theatre: www.hampsteadtheatre.com
- The Royal Court: www.royalcourttheatre.com
- The Tricycle Theatre: www.tricycle.co.uk
- Royal Shakespeare Company: www.rsc.org.uk
- The Royal National Theatre: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
- The Donmar Warehouse: www.donmarwarehouse.com
- The Almeida: www.almeida.co.uk
- Theatre De Complicite: www.complicite.org
- The Globe Theatre: www.shakespeares-globe.org/globeeducation