Drama at GCSE
This subject encourages you to develop a personal interest in why drama matters. We hope you will be inspired and develop as you study this satisfying and worthwhile course of study. Your self-confidence as an independent learner and team player will improve as you work imaginatively and creatively in collaborative contexts, generating, developing and communicating ideas with each other. You will be considering and exploring the impact of the social, historical and cultural influences that affect your set texts in the ensuing activities. Your critical skills will be sharpened as you reflect on and evaluate your own work as well as the work of others. You will work on the improvement of your performance through a range of practical and creative activities including a written portfolio. You will also study technical aspects of the stage, the history of drama and the work of theatre practitioners.
Examination Board: Edexcel
There is no formal examination. All work is practical, recorded on video, supported by detailed portfolio work mostly done under controlled conditions.
Unit 1 - 30% of total grade. Marked out of 60 [40 for practical exploration and 20 for documentary evidence]
- using drama to explore themes and issues in response to at least two different texts chosen from different times and cultures. This is studied in the second half of the spring term in Y10. There is a six-hour practical controlled assessment done during lessons. Documentary evidence based on these sessions is 2000 words.
Unit 2 - 30% of total grade. Marked out of 60 [30 for practical exploration, 10 for documentary evidence, 20 for response to live theatre performance]
- exploring a play from the point of view of directors, performers and/or designers. This is studied in the autumn term of Y11. There is another six hour controlled assessment on this set text. Documentary evidence is 1000 words. The written response to a live theatre visit is 2000 words.
Unit 3 – drama performance – 40% of total grade. Marked out of 60 [equally weighted marks for: voice and movement; rôles and characterisation; communication; content style and form]
- This consists of a practical examination of a performing [or technical support] rôle within the context of the performance of a play to an audience. Paper 2 is externally assessed during the second half of the Spring term in Y11. Students are normally given approximately 6 to 8 weeks preparation time for the performance, which is externally moderated (an examiner from the Edexcel examination board will watch the performance) which will be videoed.
For the Performance paper, students are asked to work in groups of between 3 and 9 to perform a play that is either devised or scripted. The date for the Performance Paper 2 is agreed in collaboration with the school and the external moderator and is arranged in March/April of Year 11.
Homework
Much of the set homework will be writing up an assessment/evaluation of what was achieved in lessons using the correct theatrical vocabulary and approaches as outlined in the syllabus ready for inclusion in the portfolios. Homework will also involve line learning and preparation for practical work.
Trips and Extracurricular activities
Students will be expected to participate in frequent theatre trips, some of which will be explored as part of portfolio work. As well as acting rôles, GCSE students will be expected to employ the practical knowledge they will gain in lessons of theatre practice [lighting, sound, make-up, costume etc] by participating in different rôles, both in performance and/or technically, in the school productions. This will develop their self-confidence and team building skills as well as reinforcing learning.Beyond GCSE
This course provides an excellent grounding for GCE Theatre Studies and A Level English literature. It develops the life skills necessary for good citizenship as well as developing the confident self-presentation needed in business, teaching, law practice, medicine etc.
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