COTSWOLD SCHOOL BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PERFORMACE 15TH JULY – 2000PX-626            Cotswold School Performance -278           Cotswold School Play 13th March-125

Drama

Drama promotes life skills, confidence self-esteem, independent learning and creativity so that students are encouraged to develop their social and cultural knowledge, preparing them for the wider world of work and education. Jobs now demands a competent ability to present and feel confidence about public speaking. Drama helps to encourage this and develops a sense of confidence in sometimes a challenging environment.

Curriculum

The Key Stage 3 Drama curriculum at The Cotswold School aims to enrich creativity and use imagination and communication for all students to work collaboratively together. Drama provides students with the platform to explore and work practically to develop knowledge of the theatre world and the wider world around them. All Key Stage 3 lessons provide students with a range of transferable skills including confidence, teamwork and resilience.

In Key Stage 3, students develop skills in confidence, self-esteem, teamwork and resilience. Our schemes of work includes ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Our Day Out’ and ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’.

The Eduqas Drama GCSE is an exciting, inspiring and practical course. The specification promotes involvement in and enjoyment of drama, as performers and/or designers. Additionally, it provides opportunities to attend live theatre performances and to develop skills such as informed and thoughtful audience members. For GCSE our set text is ‘Noughts and Crosses’ along with practitioners such as Splendid Theatre, Brecht and Paper Birds.

A Level Drama and Theatre offers a practical course of study which encourages the student to develop an understanding and appreciation of how the social, cultural and historical contexts of performance texts have influenced the development of drama and theatre. Students will explore and experience a range of opportunities to create theatre and to develop a critical approach, analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others. For A Level our set text is ‘Machinal’ and ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ along with practitioners such as Brecht, Stanislavski, Berkoff, Splendid, Paper Birds and Frantic Assembly.

Assessment

At Key Stage 3 students are assessed three times a year. This is practically based with students working on a piece of work that develops their understanding of the core skills developed through the scheme of work. At this level the focus is on developing confidence in the following criteria –

  • Group work
  • Character development
  • Exploration of scripts
  • Drama techniques
  • Performance skills – physicality and voice development
  • Practitioner and different styles of theatre

At Key Stage 4 students are assessed once a term on GCSE components – scripted, devised and written exam.

At Key Stage 5 students are assessed on AS/A level components – scripted, devised and written exam.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The Drama Department hosts a huge offering of extra-curricular opportunities. We have a Year 7 and 8 Drama Club with performances throughout the year. Years 9-11 perform a school play and every two years we produce an amazing whole school musical.

The department seeks to attend at least 5/6 performances a year at major theatres. The students on GCSE and A Level courses will attend more as this is an important part of the course.

Theatre trips are seen as a crucial part of the Drama curriculum and help students to understand and appreciate watching live theatre which can encourage imagination and creativity, while also helping to build a student’s confidence. It has been researched that exposure to the arts from an early age also increases the likelihood of children developing a genuine interest in this area in later life, further broadening their cultural horizons and increased tolerance of others.

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Map

(click the links below for more information)

Autumn term Spring term Summer term
Year 7 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Darkwood Manor  Alice in Wonderland 
Year 8 Our Day Out  Greek Theatre Silent Film
Year 9 DNA Script – Dennis Kelly 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Devising Project

KS3 curriculum map

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Map

Year 10 Curriculum Map

Year 11 Curriculum Map