Drama

Nature of Subject

The study of Drama is so much more than just acting. It is an all-inclusive subject that brings a wealth of benefits to students development, from boosting confidence and enhancing communication skills to enabling creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. As such, drama is an essential subject within the school curriculum, helping to develop well-rounded women of today and to aid them preparing for the challenges of the future.

Engaging in drama activities requires students to step out of their comfort zones and prеsеnt themselves in front of others. This goes hand in hand with the important life skills that Drama teaches such as confidence, empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution. These skills are essential for building healthy relationships and navigating the challenges of life, allowing for students to have exposure to different cultures, traditions, and perspectives, nurturing a more inclusive and open-minded world-view.

While not every student will pursue a career in the arts, the skills learned in drama such as confidence, communication, creativity, and teamwork are essential for any career path and are highly valued by employers.

Intent

At Coloma the drama curriculum is written to encourage students to explore a range of practical and theory skills needed for them to have life long skills that they will use in some capacity within their lives irrespectively of whether drama is their chosen career path. The curriculum has been designed to encourage the students to reflect on the world they live in and run concurrently with the school ethos. The aim is to develop their creativity through the exploration of scenarios, challenge their perceptions and raise their awareness and aspirations. Students who study Drama can go on to various paths whether that is Drama school or degree programmes in a variety of worlds that belong to drama. Career paths include Front of House, Actor, Stage Management and Drama Teacher is to name a few.

Design

Each year in KS3 follows a pathway which allows for progression over their time at Coloma. Year 7 is building blocks with performing and their confidence in a subject that is new to them, exploring what it means to be a good person through the Drama. Year 8 take the next steps in developing their drama skills with themes more reflecting the world around them. Year 9 focuses on building skills in depth and making links to the GCSE syllabus to aid the transition for KS3 to KS4. KS4 and KS5 follow their GCSE and A Level syllabus. Students should feel confident to perform and explore orally and to go beyond the curriculum to deepen their knowledge of the theatre world.

Delivery

Our department's fundamental rule is that drama is  a safe learning environment for all students, where they feel supported, secure and able to explore their drama ability. Each year the curriculum builds on prior knowledge, tackling increasingly challenging concepts. Within each scheme of work it has been  carefully c mapped out with key themes, skills and techniques to build in their understanding of the practical elements of drama. We aim to maximise long term retention, through revisiting techniques and ideas; and pushing boundaries. To support the diverse needs of our students, drama looks to ensure all can access the lessons and participate in some way or another. Within the department we aspire to nurture an understanding of not simply what, but why we are learning and lastly how it links back to them.