Drama & Performing Arts
Teaching Staff:
‘We must all do theatre, to find out who we are, and to discover who we could become.’
–Augusto Boal
KS3
All KS3 pupils receive 2 fifty-minute periods of Drama during a fortnight. Drama at Key Stage 3 focuses primarily on active learning and working as part of a group or a team. Through practical activities, pupils start to gain subject-specific knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils acquire a range of transferrable skills and personal capabilities.
Drama is a life skill and a creative art form. It helps pupils develop their ability to use voice, movement, gesture and facial expression, in acting, mime, dance drama and improvisation. They can express and manage their thoughts and feelings – shared and experienced – while working in a safe and controlled environment here at Sperrin College.
KS3 Drama at Sperrin College, offers a platform for students to express themselves and understand that stepping out of your ‘comfort zone’ is in fact okay!
Year 8:
All About me: The Monologue
Silent Movies & Physical Theatre
Shakespeare
Improvisation & Script Writing
Year 9:
Soap Opera s
Greek Theatre
Issue Based Drama: Forum Theatre
Improvisation & Script Writing
Year 10:
Forum Theatre: Stereotypes
Shakespeare
Improvisation & Script Writing
Devised work: What to expect at GCSE
GCSE DRAMA (CCEA)
The CCEA GCSE Drama specification motivates and inspires students to build and showcase their competence in a range of creative, practical and performance skills.
This comprehensive and innovative course encourages students to develop a personal interest in drama. Students choose one of two pathways – performance (acting), or design (costume, lighting, multimedia, set or sound). They work creatively with others, generating, developing and communicating their ideas for a devised performance and for a scripted performance. They also explore social, historical and cultural influences on drama texts and activities.
Both the theoretical and practical elements of the course help students to become critical thinkers with enquiring minds, confident communicators, and independent learners.
This qualification builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills developed through the Area of Learning The Arts.
This specification is a linear qualification: students take all the assessment at the end of the course.
The specification has three components:
Also offered at GCSE Level is:
Occupational Studies Level 2 Performance Skills.
There are three individual pathways in Performance Skills Certificate Level 2:
• Working in the Performing Arts Industry
• Develop Technique for Performance
• Rehearse and Perform
Learners must complete a portfolio of evidence showing evidence for all three units. In the portfolio of evidence, the student may include testimonials from friends, colleagues, teachers, tutors and assessors. All units are internally assessed and externally moderated. External moderation is visiting, but the actual performance evidence may be either live performance or previously videoed performance.
Students develop as individuals and contributors to the economy, society and environment by providing opportunities to explore topics such as practising skills and rehearsing and performing a final piece.
Students explore the Performing Arts industry in a practical way through workshops where they will develop skills for performance, as well as backstage experience to explore all the areas of the industry.
A LEVEL
BTEC National Extended Certificate in Performing Arts
The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Performing Arts suite is designed to give creative and innovative vocational opportunities for learners wanting to progress to higher education, an apprenticeship or employment.
What does the qualification cover?
The content of this qualification has been developed in consultation with academics to ensure
that it supports progression to higher education. In addition, employers and professional bodies
have been involved and consulted in order to confirm that the content is also appropriate and
consistent with current practice.
Students will study six mandatory units over two years, covering the following:
● Investigating Practitioners’ Work
● Group Performance Workshop
● Individual Performance Commission
● Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance
● Performing Arts in the Community
● Final Live Performance to an Audience.
Learners have the opportunity to explore Performing Arts through theory and practical elements as well as having the chance to work with professionals in the industry to upskill and develop further their love for the Arts. Students will have the opportunity to study the works of Brecht, Stanislavski, Lin Manuel Miranda, Andrew Lloyd Webber and many others.
Extra-Curricular:
Drama Club: The ever-growing Drama Club is offered to all students on a weekly basis afterschool. This is a great opportunity for pupils to express themselves and develop different relationships with their peers. The Drama club is a comfortable environment where pupils work with Miss McCloskey in producing performances, through improvisation and scripted pieces.
The Drama Department enjoys links with many professional theatre companies and organisations who visit the school to deliver a broad range of workshops in areas such as dance, improvisation and acting. Not only are they enjoyable for the pupils to be involved in, but the workshops also help them to develop confidence.
Pupils have the opportunity to be part of school productions, including musicals and plays, in either a performance or through gaining a backstage management role.
- Miss L McCloskey BA (Hons) PGCE
- Miss L Dempster BA (Hons) PGCE
‘We must all do theatre, to find out who we are, and to discover who we could become.’
–Augusto Boal
KS3
All KS3 pupils receive 2 fifty-minute periods of Drama during a fortnight. Drama at Key Stage 3 focuses primarily on active learning and working as part of a group or a team. Through practical activities, pupils start to gain subject-specific knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils acquire a range of transferrable skills and personal capabilities.
Drama is a life skill and a creative art form. It helps pupils develop their ability to use voice, movement, gesture and facial expression, in acting, mime, dance drama and improvisation. They can express and manage their thoughts and feelings – shared and experienced – while working in a safe and controlled environment here at Sperrin College.
KS3 Drama at Sperrin College, offers a platform for students to express themselves and understand that stepping out of your ‘comfort zone’ is in fact okay!
Year 8:
All About me: The Monologue
Silent Movies & Physical Theatre
Shakespeare
Improvisation & Script Writing
Year 9:
Soap Opera s
Greek Theatre
Issue Based Drama: Forum Theatre
Improvisation & Script Writing
Year 10:
Forum Theatre: Stereotypes
Shakespeare
Improvisation & Script Writing
Devised work: What to expect at GCSE
GCSE DRAMA (CCEA)
The CCEA GCSE Drama specification motivates and inspires students to build and showcase their competence in a range of creative, practical and performance skills.
This comprehensive and innovative course encourages students to develop a personal interest in drama. Students choose one of two pathways – performance (acting), or design (costume, lighting, multimedia, set or sound). They work creatively with others, generating, developing and communicating their ideas for a devised performance and for a scripted performance. They also explore social, historical and cultural influences on drama texts and activities.
Both the theoretical and practical elements of the course help students to become critical thinkers with enquiring minds, confident communicators, and independent learners.
This qualification builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills developed through the Area of Learning The Arts.
This specification is a linear qualification: students take all the assessment at the end of the course.
The specification has three components:
- Component 1: Devised Performance
- Component 2: Scripted Performance
- Component 3: Knowledge and Understanding of Drama.
Also offered at GCSE Level is:
Occupational Studies Level 2 Performance Skills.
There are three individual pathways in Performance Skills Certificate Level 2:
• Working in the Performing Arts Industry
• Develop Technique for Performance
• Rehearse and Perform
Learners must complete a portfolio of evidence showing evidence for all three units. In the portfolio of evidence, the student may include testimonials from friends, colleagues, teachers, tutors and assessors. All units are internally assessed and externally moderated. External moderation is visiting, but the actual performance evidence may be either live performance or previously videoed performance.
Students develop as individuals and contributors to the economy, society and environment by providing opportunities to explore topics such as practising skills and rehearsing and performing a final piece.
Students explore the Performing Arts industry in a practical way through workshops where they will develop skills for performance, as well as backstage experience to explore all the areas of the industry.
A LEVEL
BTEC National Extended Certificate in Performing Arts
The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Performing Arts suite is designed to give creative and innovative vocational opportunities for learners wanting to progress to higher education, an apprenticeship or employment.
What does the qualification cover?
The content of this qualification has been developed in consultation with academics to ensure
that it supports progression to higher education. In addition, employers and professional bodies
have been involved and consulted in order to confirm that the content is also appropriate and
consistent with current practice.
Students will study six mandatory units over two years, covering the following:
● Investigating Practitioners’ Work
● Group Performance Workshop
● Individual Performance Commission
● Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance
● Performing Arts in the Community
● Final Live Performance to an Audience.
Learners have the opportunity to explore Performing Arts through theory and practical elements as well as having the chance to work with professionals in the industry to upskill and develop further their love for the Arts. Students will have the opportunity to study the works of Brecht, Stanislavski, Lin Manuel Miranda, Andrew Lloyd Webber and many others.
Extra-Curricular:
Drama Club: The ever-growing Drama Club is offered to all students on a weekly basis afterschool. This is a great opportunity for pupils to express themselves and develop different relationships with their peers. The Drama club is a comfortable environment where pupils work with Miss McCloskey in producing performances, through improvisation and scripted pieces.
The Drama Department enjoys links with many professional theatre companies and organisations who visit the school to deliver a broad range of workshops in areas such as dance, improvisation and acting. Not only are they enjoyable for the pupils to be involved in, but the workshops also help them to develop confidence.
Pupils have the opportunity to be part of school productions, including musicals and plays, in either a performance or through gaining a backstage management role.
