The drama department aims to: Recognise and respond sensitively to the needs of students and provide the most appropriate means of developing their potential. Ensure that equality of opportunity is available to all. Provide opportunities for students to develop tolerance, understanding and respect for each other and to develop understanding of personal responsibility. To develop effective communication and negotiation skills Encourage students to reflect on issues and relate them to a wider understanding of the world we live in.

Artistic aims: To explore Drama as an art form with its own identity, developing students’ aesthetic awareness of language, movement and space; To equip students with an understanding of the Drama Form in order to communicate ideas and feelings effectively; To develop a practical understanding of the relationship between performer and spectator and to experience being both an actor and a member of the audience; To widen students understanding of theatre history, how it has developed and changed and brought us up to the present day.

Educational aims: The development of the whole person;, socially, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. The provision of a secure environment in which students can explore ideas and feelings individually and as part of a supportive group. The cultivation of empathy; to show sensitivity and understanding towards others. The facilitation of collaborative work in groups through negotiation and communication. The development of language skills through role-play and improvisation. The enhancement of students’ understanding of themselves and others by addressing the real world of experience and human relationships through the imaginative world of Drama.

• A form of artistic expression
• A mode of learning
• A way to explore issues events and relationships
• A way to communicate
• A chance to draw upon the real world of experience to create a world of imagination

When considering Drama within the educational context of the school curriculum it is necessary to differentiate between the two areas of Educational Drama on the one hand and Theatre on the other. Whilst performance is an important element in curricular Drama, most notably at GCSE and A level, the work that students are engaged in duri lesson time should be firmly rooted in the tradition of Educational Drama.

The fundamental aim of Educational Drama is the development of the whole person; to bring about a change and greater awareness of self on a personal, social, intellectual and physical level. Educational drama involves the active exploration of human behaviour and students. Educational Drama must stimulate various forms of interaction between students as part of an ongoing process of deepening and developing communication and negotiation skills, using improvised and scripted drama, games and exercises and presentations within groups.

Links:

Curriculum Outline

Exemplar Coursework Task

Key Vocabulary

Theatrical Links:

Stratford Circus

Theatre Royal

Drama has developed a great deal over the past three years. We now include A level Drama and Theatre Studies. They must to devise a play for a given audience. This was a play for top juniors.

Trapped!

Make Do and Mend - WW2

We also tour small shows for schools in the borough.