Drama
Drama is an important part of the curriculum at Canons High School. The Drama curriculum provides students with experiences of the practical art form as well as exploring the historical and cultural aspects of the subject. Drama is compulsory for all Key Stage Three (KS3) students and a popular GCSE option subject. A Level Drama will be introduced in 2008. Drama is taught by specialist teachers in specially equipped Drama studios which include lighting, costumes and digital recording facilities. Drama is an integral part of the extra-curricular activities at Canons High School with students participating in yearly musicals or international evenings, as well as performances at assemblies, for middle school students, Drama Club and theatre visits.
Why Study Drama?
The Drama curriculum helps to provide students with new insights into the world we live in and gives students the opportunity to communicate ideas in creative and imaginative ways. Drama encourages the interpretation of a wide range of Drama texts and forms and is also a way of celebrating culture and belief. Drama students learn how to speak and move fluently through the development of performance skills. Studying Drama helps to build students' problem solving, enquiry, creative thinking, literacy and writing skills.
KS3 Drama
Students attend one hour of Drama per week in which they participate in a range of activities. KS3 Drama introduces students to different performance styles and helps students to improve their presentation and performance skills; understand how to work in a team; improve their communication skills and develop an understanding and appreciation of the art form. Students work within the Drama forms of creating, performing and evaluating and are encouraged to use their creativity and imagination. Student's progress is monitored and recorded through half term assessment, with results recorded as National Curriculum levels. Units of work are both text based - ‘The Voice' and skill based ‘Pantomime'. KS3 students are shown how the knowledge and skills developed in Drama are relevant to adult life.
GSCE Drama
Students work within the Edexcel GCSE Drama specification. This course is challenging both practically and theoretically and has three components to the assessment - Practical coursework (40%), portfolio of evidence (20%), practical acting exam (40%). This course is a popular option with students and includes performances for various occasions including theatre in education projects, parent preview evenings and workshops with theatre companies. Students will learn not only the art of acting but will be taught the skills involved in different aspects of Drama. These include the art of the playwright, director, designer, technician and critic. Within the curriculum, students will also work with professional theatre practitioners and experience live theatre. GCSE Drama encourages students to become independent learners and critical thinkers with students encouraged to view the world from different perspectives.
Useful Links
http://www.sasktelwebsite.net/erachi/
http://www.coursework.info/24/
http://www.edexcel.org.uk/qualifications/QualificationAward.aspx?id=49740
http://www.courseworkhelp.co.uk/GCSE/Drama/
http://www.dramabookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp