Drama Department

Drama at The Mount is creative and critical; active and reflective - students gain practical experience of performance, and the ability to consider theoretically the effectiveness of the core drama skills in use, both in their own and others' work. Whole class exercises, individual and group activities are part and parcel of each lesson; music, literature, art, current affairs and historic events are often stimuli for thematic or improvised drama. Plays are studied and explored in action, and practical knowledge of their production and the working theatre is gained through trips to on & off -West End London productions; the Theatre Museum and Shakespeare's Globe. Drama club for Year 7 is on Thursday after school and for Years 8 on Wednesday after school. There are annual Drama Club Showcases to family, friends and teachers; and an Inter-House Speech & Drama Festival in the Spring Term. A whole school production, either drama or musical, takes place each year. In 2004 'Oliver' was a resounding success, followed by ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’ and ‘Annie’ in 2005 and 2006. This year, the school enjoyed a 90 student strong cast performing ‘Bugsy Malone’.

	Curriculum

	Year 7	In the Autumn term of Year 7, the teaching focus is on vocal dexterity, control of movement and spatial awareness. Expression of emotion, reacting to imagined environments , character and relationships, accents and dialects follow in the Spring term. The year concludes with work on props, costumes and devising group performances.


	Year 8	Year 8 begins with a Story Telling unit, which concentrates on developing dramatic narrative. Creative drama classes aimed at teaching the use of movement and vocal sound effects to convey place and atmosphere lead into more specific activities on genre and style in the spring. Detailed character study, expressing physical and emotional change over time, flash backs, freeze frames and character Hot-seating, are introduced next before the Summer term, involves the students in developed individual and group improvisation.

	Year 9	Students are introduced at the start of Year 9 to developing Character through movement centred exercises and later construct group performances influenced by Physical Theatre techniques that they have been taught. Their understanding of character physicality and its communication to an audience is brought to their performance of scripted drama at the end of the Autumn and beginning of the Spring term. Monologue, duologue and ensemble skills are acquired in turn, together with those of script analysis; peer and self evaluation. Constructive criticism of live (class and professional) performance is developed, building on the foundations laid in Years 7 & 8; written homework reinforces this and begins GCSE preparation. Devising from a thematic base; reflection on drama in society and the role of TIE (Theatre in Education) culminates in an end of Year 9 group performance, concluding Drama at Key Stage 3.

	GCSE	Students take AQA Drama GCSE at The Mount. The examination is of two coursework pieces, one scripted (acting from a play); the other non-scripted (devised thematic work, polished improvisation or dance drama), each worth 30% (students are marked on text comparison, work in progress and final performance), and a two hour written paper at the end of the course worth 40%. Teaching is divided proportionally between coursework preparation and study of set plays and live performances that students will respond to in the written paper. Four coursework options (two scripted and two non-scripted) are assessed over the duration of the course; the best mark for each type counts towards the GCSE grade. Three set plays are work-shopped and can be used in scripted coursework, a practice that aids students when they come to write about their performances in the final exam. Theatre productions are seen once a term, and there are three practice written exam sessions, including the Year 11 Mock, through which students become familiar with the written paper. The GCSE provides students with theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of a wide range of drama practices and practitioners. Performance and critical analysis skills are developed in a creative classroom environment that aims to increase individual confidence, political and cultural awareness, empathy and objectivity; and to inspire a fun, trusting and motivated atmosphere, in which the highest quality of work is produced at all times.

	AS/A2	Students take Edexcel Drama and Theatre Studies AS & A2 at The Mount. There are three units to the AS and three to the A2, all inclusively, Units 1 - 6. Unit 1 is the study of two play text and an introduction to Stanislavski and Brecht; students are assessed internally on their performance in practical workshops and a portfolio of Exploration Notes on each play. It is worth 30% of the AS and 15% of the full A2. Unit 2 prepares students for an external examination of their performance in a teacher directed play and for one half of the questions in the Unit 3 written paper examination. The second half is on their response to a live theatre performance seen over the course of the AS year (three performances will be seen and students select one to write about in the two hour exam). Unit 2 is worth 40% (AS), 20% (A2) and Unit 3 is worth 30% (AS), 15% (A2). At the start of the A2 year students work in groups of 3 to 12 on an original piece of theatre that they will devise and perform. A structured record of the work is also submitted for assessment, all of which is internal for this unit, worth 20%. For Unit 5 students take part in the adaptation of and presentation of scenes from a play. They will work in groups of 3 to 6 as directors, designers and performers and shape ideas in the rehearsal process, preparing for external assessment by a visiting examiner, worth 15%. Unit 6 is a written examination on The Trojan Women by Euripides, including its original performance context and that of its performance to a contemporary audience. The study of how directors, designers and performers have used drama to communicate their ideas to an audience in the production of a play originally written and performed between 1575 and 1720, is also assessed. The exam is worth 15% of the A2 and is 2 1/2 hours long. In Years 12 and 13, Drama students develop greater knowledge and understanding of the study and performance of plays and devising original theatre. Theatre history forms a significant part of the course and studying AS/A2 Drama and Theatre Studies expands students' appreciation of the subject, fostering their view of drama from the perspective of actors, directors, designers and theatre critics alike. The aims and ethos of the teaching of AS/A2 Drama and Theatre Studies are those of the GCSE, with an increasing focus over the two years on the students taking independent responsibility for and ownership of the work produced.