CURRICULUM INTENT
The Drama curriculum at The Archbishop's School is a skills-based curriculum with an underpinning knowledge and is designed to build on a number of key areas.
- Confidence
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Communication
- Physicalisation
- Vocal work
- Creativity
- Appreciation
It also aims to enhance the opportunities of students by adding to their ‘cultural capital’ and embedding their knowledge from the study of other subjects through cross-curricular links. It does this by focusing on the historical and social context of performances and social issues that the students face.
The curriculum’s focus on high-quality performance skills is intended to help stretch and challenge the most able, as well as ensuring disadvantaged and SEN students have opportunities to explore creativity through effective scaffolding and focus on the teaching of key vocabulary and practical opportunities. The use of regular formative feedback verbally given to students allows them to focus on making progress and take responsibility for their own learning.
Transferable Skills
Within Drama, the focus is on the transferable skills that students are given through the curriculum and co-curricular experiences.
Teamwork - All students are expected to work within mixed groups that change regularly. Through-out the scheme of work, all students will work with all students in the group. This allows students to focus on the work and developing their skills rather than who they are with.
Leadership - Within lessons students should be given opportunities to develop leadership skills. Students should have space within the lesson to work independently and which allows natural leaders to emerge. Teachers will also challenge higher ability students by guiding them towards directing roles and larger parts allowing them to develop leadership skills.
Confidence - All students are expected to perform at least every other lesson. Regular access and encouragement to public speaking and performance is designed to aid and develop students' confidence skills.
Communication - Students are expected to verbally feedback on each other's work after every performance. The use of tier 3 subject specific words and analytical oracy skills allows students to develop communication.
Trips
The Drama department strives to provide a diverse opportunity to watch live performances in a variety of genres. Within KS3, it often focuses on West End performances and large-scale pantomimes to introduce students to the professional works. When students are in KS4 and KS5, the department encourages students to be involved with more localised and diverse theatre. Key venues used are The Gulbenkian Theatre, the Marlowe Studios and other local venues.
