Drama seeks to promote well rounded practitioners and individuals who thrive and succeed within our group based classroom. We offer qualifications which are inspiring and creative, and which reflect the evolving world of theatre. We strive to promote the transferable skills inherent within the subject including team work, communication, confidence and leadership. Drama is a rigorous and academic subject, especially at the highest level, and we will continue to promote the subject as such.  There is an inclusion of a wide range of theatre practitioners within the curriculum to ensure students have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the full subject area. The 3 strands of the subject support the different styles of learners in the classroom. The combination of practical and written work allows all students to excel in different areas.

Curriculum Overview

Y12-13 drama overview:

• Component 1 – Devising – 40%. Students will explore a set text and create a performance which responds to this text and its social, cultural and historical context. The performance will be in the style of a chosen practitioner. They will be assessed on their performance and in a reflective portfolio. (Internally assessed)
• Component 2 – Performance From Text- 20%. Students will rehearse two performance pieces (group and a monologue/duologue) to perform to an external examiner in the spring of Y13.
• Component 3 – Written Exam – 40%. Students will analyse and evaluate a live theatre performance they have seen, answer questions from the point of view of a performer and designer for a set text, and create a directorial concept for a set text taking into account its original performance conditions.

Subject staff

Miss Chloe Hickey – drama teacher

Useful Links

The National Theatre education pages

The National Theatre Discover YouTube channel

The Globe Theatre education blogs

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre

The Stage

Frantic Assembly

Spotlight

Extra- Curricular

• Years 12 and 13 students look forward to the annual London residential in November. The itinerary changes each year but we always see a West End production and aim to have a workshop led by industry professionals.
• We offer a full-scale musical every year in which students can become involved in acting, directing, choreographing, stage managing, lighting designing, sound designing and prop/set making. The musical runs for any student of any age from Y7 right up to Y13. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the creative arts at Painsley Catholic College.
• We offer a Student Director programme for our senior students, which gives opportunity to lead other students throughout the course of the year, including assistance in the school musical, devised performances and plays throughout the year. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop leadership and creative skills, whilst being a great springboard into their professional careers and developing their university applications.
• Students taking drama attend the theatre several times throughout the year in order to fulfil the specification requirements as well as create well-rounded theatre students. These trips include both musicals and plays.