Drama
Hulme Hall Grammar School aims to promote Drama in two ways – through Process and Performance.
As a process it plays an essential role in developing self-confidence, raising self-esteem, increasing social awareness and encouraging the ability to work individually and collaboratively. Pupils learn to listen to, and learn from one another, and express ideas and opinions clearly.
As performance, pupils improve their oral skills – clarity of diction, voice projection, tone and fluency. They learn to communicate through non-verbal methods, learning skills and stage-craft, including awareness of the audience, timing, movement, mannerisms, gesture and facial expressions. They develop the confidence to act in front of an audience and will perform in assemblies as part of their form, and in school productions.
Key Stage 3
Drama is a statutory part of English in the National Curriculum and, as such, all pupils should participate and gain the knowledge, skills and understanding associated with it. Pupils should be able to adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role. They should have opportunities to improvise, devise and script drama for one another and perform in front of a range of audiences, as well as to rehearse, refine, share and respond thoughtfully to drama and theatre performances.
Year 7
- Introduction to Drama
- Improvisation – School Life
- Improvisation – Families
- Improvisation – Physical Theatre
- Scripted Drama – Melodrama
- Scripted Drama – Dialogues and Monologues
Year 8
- Improvisation – Forum Theatre and Theatre Skills
- History of Theatre – Greek Theatre to Commedia Dell’arte
- Scripted Drama – Comedy
- Scripted Drama – Physical Theatre
- Improvisation – Conflict Resolution
- Improvisation – Stereotypes and Advertising
Year 9
- Scripted Drama – Media Scripts
- Improvisation – Outside World
- Scripted Drama – Shakespeare
- History of Theatre – Masks
- Improvisation – From Antigone to Rosa Parks
- Improvisation – Forum Theatre
Pupils will complete half-termly practical assessments based on their ability to work individually and collaboratively using a range of scripts including duologues and monologues.
KS3 Assessment Grid
Key Stage 4
The aim of the course is to apply knowledge and understanding when making, performing and responding to drama. In addition, pupils will explore performance texts and understand their social, cultural and historical context.
Throughout the two years, they will develop a range of theatrical skills and apply them as an individual to theatrical performance. In addition, the aim is to produce creative, independent and reflective pupils who can collaborate to generate, develop and communicate ideas.
GCSE Drama
AQA Drama (8261)
Understanding Drama:
Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of a dramatic text and its social, historical, and cultural context. They also study a set play and further their understanding of live theatre production as well as extending their grasp of theatre terminology.
Devising Drama:
Pupils will create, perform, analyse, and evaluate a theatrical performance.
Texts in Practice: pupils will learn how to contribute to a text-based drama in a live theatre context.
- Understanding Drama - 40% - 1hr 45min
- Devising Drama - 40% (30% devising log, 10% devised performance)
- Texts in Practice - 20% (Pupils perform two extracts from one play)
Further Study
Drama offers a clear route into further and higher education for drama related courses. Career opportunities are numerous, e.g. acting, presenting, stage managing, teaching, drama therapy and directing.
In addition, pupils develop skills which support other further/higher education courses and career pathways. These include the ability to collaborate with others, think analytically and evaluate effectively.