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St Gabriel’s

St Gabriel’s

Drama

Drama is designed to stimulate lasting pupil curiosity, interest and enjoyment. We aim to create an atmosphere where pupils wish to learn, so that they truly enjoy drama and give their very best because they are active participants. Additionally, studying Drama contributes to the development of core skills in reading, writing, speaking and computing. 

Pupils become familiar with a body of knowledge, principles, skills, techniques and vocabulary related to drama.  They are exposed to a wide range of material, literary and media, which builds their appreciation of drama as a major cultural feature and part of a wider body of knowledge and skills.

In all aspects of their work pupils are exposed to a diverse range of views from inside and outside the classroom.  Expressed through the medium of drama, pupils can discuss and explore the moral, cultural and humanitarian issues within the context of today's society. All pupils who study Drama are expected to show respect, empathy and co-operation, along with the ability and willingness to respond to the work of others constructively and with sensitivity.

Pupils benefit from practising and performing in a black box theatre with tiered seating and Harlequin floor. For those pupils interested in stage technology they can learn to use the lighting desk and the art of stage lighting for productions.

Year 7-9 Drama

Drama provides a feast of hands-on theatrical experiences. From the whole-year performance in the Autumn Term of Year 7 through to working with scripts from different periods and cultures in Year 8 and Year 9, pupils are encouraged to create and explore different genres. As well as scripted work, there are opportunities to explore real-life themes and situations as well as pieces of pure escapism. Pupils develop performance and communication skills and gain an appreciation of the significance of theatre in our society and culture.

Challenge & Extension: Drama clubs; numerous opportunities to perform in front of an audience, both in school and in the local community, together with visits from specialist performers, provide enrichment and challenge to even the most talented. Year 9 pupils are invited to audition for a part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

Year 10-11 Drama GCSE

The Drama GCSE course has its roots in practical theatre and involves performing from scripts, creating original theatre and attending live productions. Pupils are given responsibility for planning and developing performances and experience working to a real deadline - the arrival of an audience!

Today’s employers are looking for mature, confident, creative people who can communicate effectively and work as part of a team. Drama develops all of these attributes as well as being practical, rewarding and fun!

Challenge & Extension: To challenge pupils to their full potential, booster sessions are offered on a one-to-one basis. A number of workshops and theatre trips are designed to open the pupils’ minds to a broader idea of theatre, exploring theatre production as well as performance. Recent trips have included: West End Directors Blood Brother’s theatre workshop; The Watermill Jane Eyre Schools Tour and Blood Brothers theatre trip.