KS4 Drama
Exam Board: OCR
Coursework: 30%
Performance exam: 30%
Written exam: 40%
Students will gain many skills while studying this course, including:
- contributing to and supporting the work and progress of a team;
- creating performance pieces
- developing excellent communication skills;
- close, analytical study of texts;
- increasing confidence in public presentations;
- empathy and exploring issues from a range of perspectives;
- being creative and exploring ideas in inventive ways;
- Researching historical contexts of set texts.
The course is made up of 3 components:
1 – Devising: creating, performing and evaluating a piece of theatre (40%)
2 – Performance from Text: performing 2 key extracts from a play (20%)
3 – Theatre Makers in Practice: written exam paper (40%)
The first of these components involves creating and devising a piece of drama from a variety of stimuli. The piece will be performed to an audience and students complete a portfolio to accompany it which analyses and evaluates the entire process of their work. The portfolio can be written or recorded or a combination of both. Performance support option is available for this component.
The second component is performance from a text. Students will closely study a whole play and perform 2 key extracts from it. This performance will be assessed by a visiting examiner and a performance support option is available for this component.
The final component is a written exam divided into 2 sections, the first requires students to answer questions based on a text extract taken from a play they will have studied practically and analysed in class. For the second section students write a theatre review of a live performance of their choice.
Performance support options:
- Lighting Design
- Sound Design
- Costume
- Prop Design
- Mask and make up
Students will need to attend theatre visits organised by the department. We also strongly recommend that students make frequent visits to the theatre to see both amateur and professional productions. There will be a number of after-school rehearsals and performance evenings throughout the 2 years of the course which students are expected to fully commit to.
Completion of this course will enable students to continue studying the subject at a higher level such as A-Level Drama & Theatre Studies or a Performing Arts BTEC, or help prepare students for a range of careers involving communication and presenting aspects. Study of this course complements subjects such as History and English. Bristol is a city recognised for its huge range of creative career options ranging from theatre, puppetry, and animation to film and media. Drama is a subject that would complement any of these careers.