Drama and Theatre
Welcome
Drama is an enthusiastic, vibrant and successful department. At Edgbarrow, we have a fully equipped, purpose-built Drama studio with the use of stage lights, sound and projection. We also have two additional spaces in the school, including the main hall which is home to our large-scale productions. We deliver exciting and thought-provoking lessons, which aim to link to our students wider understanding of the world, as well as allowing them to engage with many new and interesting elements of theatre. Drama at Edgbarrow is sequenced to ensure that students continually build upon prior learning and can make connections between the different topics they study within the subject.
Key Staff
Miss Carr - Head of Department
Mr Franklin - Teacher of Drama
Mr Portnow - Performing Arts Technician
Mrs Dix - HLTA (Creatives)
Key Stage 3
Curriculum IntentAt Key Stage 3, we intend to inspire our students to develop their acting skills, be creative, resilient and reflective, not only in the subject but as a person. This will enable them to be effective performers as well as kind and well-rounded members of the community. |
Homework IntentHomework is set to develop students’ understanding of drama, as well as preparing students for performance. |
Drama at Key Stage 3 should fulfil artistic, intellectual and social needs and our curriculum aims to cover all three. At Edgbarrow students will study specific units of work in these areas and will also have the opportunity to explore a plethora of different skills, topics and texts. The work covered in Key Stage 3 also works to prepare students who go on to take Drama at GCSE and A-Level. |
Assessment BandsStudents will follow national guidelines throughout Key Stage 3 to support and prepare them for their Key Stage 4 courses. The school operates a banding system of 1-9 (9 being the highest band). Students will be given a target based on their Key Stage 2 scores and baseline assessments on arrival at Edgbarrow. The band they are awarded at the end of the Key Stage is intended to be indicative of the grade they may achieve at GCSE.
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Summary Curriculum Plan |
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Key Stage 4
Curriculum IntentAt GCSE, our students will refine their acting and collaborative skills and produce original and polished performances. Students will feel confident in approaching written responses, by building an understanding and knowledge of how drama is created and performed. |
Homework IntentHomework is set to develop students' understanding of drama as well as exploring the key texts that underpin the GCSE course. As well as this, homework in drama can also take the form of after school rehearsals. |
Why Take Drama at GCSE?GCSE Drama allows students to learn and engage with the world of Drama and Theatre, whilst underpinning this exploration with informed theoretical knowledge and theory. Students have the opportunity to perform, create and study existing performances and texts, whilst inevitably building a repertoire of transferable skills that can be used throughout their life. These include skills in; communication, teamwork, confidence, leadership and time management. Drama is also a subject to look to pursue if you are considering a career in the arts, or for anyone who is interested in culture or social topics. The GCSE Drama CourseThe GCSE Drama course is split into three components: 2 pieces of coursework and the written examination. The written examination focuses on three areas:
Within each section, you will need to demonstrate an understanding of theatre roles and terminology and be able to show an understanding of how both you and the other actors create characters, atmosphere and how ideas are presented. The coursework is spread over the two years of the GCSE. You will complete two pieces, one devised (making the piece up on a theme) and one scripted, where you will need to learn lines for two sections of a play as well as practise the scenes. A Summary of the AQA GCSE Drama CourseComponent 1: Understanding Drama
3 Sections:
Component 2: Devising Drama
Component 3: Texts in Practice
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Summary Curriculum Plan |
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Key Stage 5
Curriculum IntentAt A-Level, our students will build upon their practical and analytical skills, to ensure they are confident in approaching and accessing all areas of the course. Students will build a tool-box of practical techniques to enhance their performances and will underpin their work with their own theoretical exploration. |
A-Level Drama & Theatre Studies CourseDrama & Theatre Studies is geared to exploring a wide range of Drama content including the study of theatre practitioners and an emphasis on practical creativity alongside research and theoretical understanding. Students can choose and research an area of practical study to support and enhance their performances and the course’s scope is both challenging and exciting. There are 3 units in the A-Level and the students sit one written examination paper in the last year. A Summary of the AQA A-Level Drama & Theatre Studies CourseComponent 1: Drama and theatre
Component 2: Creating original drama (practical)
Component 3: Making theatre (practical)
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Summary Curriculum Plan |
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Inclusion
IntentIt is our intent that pupils with special educational needs/disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum, learn alongside their peers and achieve similar outcomes. In addition, they may benefit from additional opportunities in the lessons and in the co-curricular activities that are arranged especially for them. |
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Literacy
Reading Aims:
Writing Aims:
Spoken Language Aims:
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Co-Curricular
Productions are an exciting yearly event and performed at the end of the Spring term. All students from Year 7 to 13 are invited to take part and can contribute in many different ways! From performing, to sound and lighting, backstage crew, hair, make-up and choreography, the production is a real whole-school event!
Click on these links to view photo galleries from recent school productions Billy Elliot and We Will Rock You.
In Years 7 and 8, there is a Drama Club. This after school club, gives students the opportunity to expand and explore their talents within drama.
Tech Club is run once a week by our Performing Arts Technician and allows students to explore the backstage roles and all the elements that are needed to put on a production.
For those students who wish to study Theatre or Performing Arts further, we offer 1:1 tuition to help prepare our students for continued professional development, this can include support with auditions and individual tutorials. We are very proud to have a number of alumni, who are currently working and/or training within the arts. At GCSE and A-Level, classes go on at least two trips to the theatre per year, this gives our students the opportunity to see live and professional theatre, as well as increasing ambition to create similar work.
Alumni |
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Aylin Scott - The Academy of Live & Recorded Arts Phil Fletcher - BA Acting Hons Graduate from St. Mary's University |
Harry Mayes - Broadcast Production Assistant for Warner Brothers Ella Mae - Drama Studio London |
![]() Maddie Crofts - Performance Preparation Academy |
Independent Study
Key Stage 3Year 9 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Bloomsbury) Year 9 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (YouTube) |
Key Stage 4 |
Key Stage 5 |
For further information regarding our Drama Curriculum please email:
Miss Carr (Head of Department) rachel.carr@edgbarrowschool.co.uk