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Drama

Our Commitment

Drama at Looe Community Academy is fully inclusive both in lessons and in extra curricular work. We seek to build on the talents, skills and capabilities of all students.
Our department’s aim is to encourage all students to develop their performing skills in 3 key areas; facial expression, body language and voice. Students are also introduced to key Drama terms including explorative strategies, mediums and elements of drama (in preparation for those wishing to continue onto GCSE). We seek to build essential transferable skills for other subjects, further study and the world of work, in group working, communication, literacy (spoken and written), creative thinking, empathy, self expression, and presentation, as well as seeking to boost students’ self confidence.
This is achieved through studying different theatre styles, from different points in theatre history and around the world and across various themes. Students work on both scripted and devised work across various topics.
All Drama lessons are taught by one dedicated specialised teacher in a purpose built studio space where students have access to theatrical lighting, sound equipment, projector, costume, make up and props.

Our Expectations

There is a real passion for Drama and many students take on extra curricular involvement. We ask that everybody take as active a role as they are capable of in lessons, and we also actively encourage student voice and student leadership. Students are encouraged to always do their very best.

Home Learning

In Drama lessons across both key stages, we have developed a work book which is used for recording both classwork and homework. This is a useful resource to enhance learning, and can be a way that parents/carers can track pupil progress as the teacher writes individual feedback in the booklet at least twice every half term. The Drama attainment levels are also clearly written at the front of the Drama work book to help with understanding on how to progress further. At key stage 4, notes are needed on all practical work undertaken which supports students in their written controlled assessments.

Enrichment

Students from all year groups have the opportunity to take part in the annual school production (a play with dance or a musical on alternative years). Students who particularly enjoy their Drama also have the opportunity to join LCAD (Looe Community Academy Drama) a lunchtime Drama club run by students for students. As well as preparing and taking a performance piece to the annual Secondary School Drama Showcase at the Hall for Cornwall, Truro, students also work on devised projects and work created by students.

Career Opportunities

Studying Drama can open the doors to many varied career opportunities in theatre, television, radio and to any jobs that require communication and presentation skills (such as marketing and sales, youth work, journalism and events organisation to name a small selection). Whether performing, behind the scenes, supporting others through therapy or directing/teaching, there are many ways a Drama GCSE can assist students on their chosen path.
‘Drama enables students to understand the richness and fullness of our experiences, at the same time as developing in them important skills and attributes. Indeed, self-confidence, empathy and the ability to communicate clearly and confidently - all of which are promoted through drama - are what universities, colleges and employers say they are looking for in the adults of the future.’
Sir David Bell KCB, Vice Chancellor
National Drama Conference, University of Reading March 2014

Year 7

Drama Overview: In Year 7 students are given an introduction to the basic skills in Drama through different themes and topics.
Key topics: the journey of the American Pioneers, Silent Movies, Script work based on a student’s first day at school

Key skills:
* Taking part in role plays
* Creating successful still images
* Learning about a character through hot seating them
* Devising short pieces from a given idea
* Creating narration to tell a simple story
* Non-verbal communication
* Learning mime skills (including push, pull, lift and slapstick fighting)
* The importance of stage directions
* What the different parts of the stage are called

Year 8

Drama Overview: In Year 8, students build on the basic skills already learnt and begin using their knowledge to devise and develop their performances.
Key topics: a fictional reality television show, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Commedia dell’arte, performing horror

Key skills:
* More in depth role-play and hot seating
* Creating thought tracks
* What are spontaneous improvisation and polished improvisation and how can they help develop characters
* Devising from students’ own ideas
* Proxemics
* Creating physical characters
* Soundscapes

Year 9

Drama Overview: In Year 9, students work on further developing their drama skills and the way they can use them.
Key topics: the thriller genre, comedy skills, exploring moral dilemmas through drama, the Dragon’s Apprentice (based around Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice television programmes)

Key skills:
* How to show 2 different elements in just one still image
* Using hot seating to reveal a character
* Further developed role play and thought tracks
* Using devising skills and topic knowledge to create their own version
* Comedy skills (such as timing, double takes, physical comedy and the ingredients for comedy characters)
* Conscience alley
* Devil and Angel
* Exploring status
* What makes a successful presentation/pitch
* How a strong product can be made weak through a poor presentation and a weak product be made strong through a strong presentation

Years 10/11

Drama Overview: In Years 10/11, students can pursue GCSE Drama as a 1 or 2 year option.
Students are examined on their understanding of Drama and how it can be used to explore a theme and a script. 60% is assessed across 2 units; unit 1: exploring a theme with 6 workshops of assessed practical work and a 2,000 word written piece of work and unit 2: exploring a script with 6 workshops of assessed practical work and a 1,000 word written piece of work and a 2,000 live theatre review. The last 40% is through Unit 3 which takes the form of a performance piece based on an assigned brief.

Key topics: revisiting explorative strategies, mediums and elements of drama by looking at the poem ‘Saw it in the Papers’ by Adrian Mitchell, exploring a theme, exploring a script, devising a 30-45 minute piece based around an exam brief

Key skills:
* Explorative Strategies: Still Image, Thought Tracking, Narration, Hot Seating, Role Play, Cross Cutting, Forum Theatre, Mark the Moment
* Mediums: Use of costume, Sound/Music, Lighting, Space/levels, Set/props, movement/mime/gesture, voice (how you speak), spoken language (what you say),
* Elements: Action/plot/content, climax/anti climax, use of rhythm/pace/tempo, use of contrasts, use of props/gestures as symbols, characterization.

 

Full Curriculum Statements can be downloaded below: