Speech & Drama at Key Stage 3

Drama is for many students a new subject introducing new ways of interpreting the world in which they live. Through active and passive identification with imagined roles and situations, students explore relationships and people, issues and events. They acquire performance skills and build up self-confidence so that they can convey their explorations and asserts their ideas and opinions to others.

Teaching & Learning

The teaching of Drama at Key Stage 3 has strong cross-curricular links with the English department. There is a high focus on developing basic Speaking & Listening skills to serve the needs of the ordinary (non-Drama-specialist) students so that they can meet the core SATs and GCSE English requirements.

Students will also learn key Drama techniques, the basic principles of stagecraft, explorative strategies when responding to texts or other stimuli and also study and experiment with the non-verbal aspects of communication through the use of face, movement and gesture.

Homework & Assessment

Students will keep a strict record of their practical work through a Drama Journal and receive regular homework on a fortnightly basis. The homework may include tasks such as textual analysis or comprehension, short research projects, writing evaluations or reflections on performances, planning or designing aspects of stagecraft, etcetera.

 Students are assessed in line with National Curriculum levels.