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Callington Community College

Callington Community College

Drama

Drama and Theatre Studies is an exciting subject.  It is a chance for students to gain confidence, discover who they are, and learn more about the world around them. Our Drama department is built around a set of core values: every student should have opportunities to ‘create, perform and respond’ in a supportive, creative environment. Students work as performers, and as directors, learning the invaluable skills of collaboration and creativity. At all levels, they are supported by staff to challenge themselves and create high quality practical work. Students learn about the discipline of performance; working in front of a live audience, and responding to the demands of this. In addition they learn the value of critiquing their own work, and giving feedback to others.

Key Stage 3

Drama is taught one hour a week throughout Years 7 – 8 and is a popular subject.  Over these two years, the students learn the foundation of performance.  Developing and applying their skills of collaborative group work, performance and evaluation.  Practical exploration is at the heart of our lessons, which students thrive on. 

Key Stage 4

At GCSE we follow the Edexcel course.  Students deepen their understanding of drama and theatre, honing their performance and evaluation skills.  We study at least 2 plays in depth, explore theatre practitioners and tackle challenging issue-based topics to develop students devising skills alongside a wider view of the world. The GCSE has 3 components.  A devising section, performance of a scripted extract and finally a written exam including a review of a live piece of theatre.

Key Stage 5

At A Level we follow the Edexcel course.  Students study a range of texts and practitioners through challenging practical and written tasks.  The exam consists of 3 components.  A devising section based on a professional play script & practitioner, a performance section based on a 2nd text, a written section based on a 3rd text  and different practitioner. plus a review of live theatre that the students have seen.

Beyond the classroom drama opportunities are plentiful. Each year we have exam performances from GSCE and A Level groups. Weekly drama clubs, a yearly school production, participation in the National Connections and the Cornish Showcase. Plus the opportunity to visit local theatres in Plymouth and Truro.

A Level course outline

AS LEVEL AND A LEVEL DRAMA OVERVIEW

AS A LEVEL
Component 1:
Exploration and Performance 60%
THERE ARE 3 PARTS TO THE ASSESSMENT.
  1. GROUP PERFORMANCE OF A SCRIPT EXTRACT -32 MARKS
  1. MONOLOGUE/DUOLOGUE FROM A SECOND SCRIPT EXTRACT-16 MARKS
  1. PORTFOLIO 2000 – 2500 WORDS-48 MARKS
Component 1:
Devising 40%
THERE ARE 2 PARTS TO THE ASSESSMENT
  • DEVISED PERFORMANCE PIECE. USING AN EXTRACT FROM A SCRIPT AND A THEATRE PRACTITIONER AS STIMULI. - 20 MARKS
  • A PORTFOLIO - 60 MARKS
Component 2:
Theatre Makers in Practice  40%
1 HOUR 45 MINUTE WRITTEN EXAM IN 2 PARTS
  1. SECTION A – LIVE THEATRE EVALUATION -16 MARKS
  1. SECTION B - 2 EXTENDED QUESTIONS, BASED ON A SET TEXT.  RESPONSES ARE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A PERFORMER. - 32 MARKS
Component 2:
Text in Performance 20%
THERE ARE 2 PARTS TO THE ASSESSMENT
  1. GROUP PERFORMANCE OF A SCRIPT EXTRACT -36 MARKS
  1. MONOLOGUE/DUOLOGUE FROM A SECOND SCRIPT EXTRACT-24 MARKS
  Component 3:
Theatre Makers in Practice  40%
2 HOUR 45 MINUTE WRITTEN EXAM
  1. SECTION A: LIVE THEATRE EVALUATION- 20 MARKS
ANALYSE AND EVALUATE A LIVE THEATRE PERFORMANCE
  1. SECTION B: PAGE TO STAGE: REALISING A PERFORMANCE TEXT  -  36 MARKS
EXTENDED QUESTIONS, BASED ON A SET TEXT.  RESPONSES ARE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A PERFORMER. SECTION C: INTERPRETING A PERFORMANCE TEXT  24 MARKS ONE EXTENDED RESPONSE QUESTION, BASED ON THE SET TEXT.  RESPONSES ARE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A DIRECTOR LINKED TO A CHOSEN THEATRE PRACTITIONER

Next steps

Having studied A Level Theatre studies you will not only have had an exciting 2 years of education but gained a comprehensive set of transferable skills. Self-confidence, public speaking and analytical skills, self-discipline and an ability to handle criticism are just a few. You will be accomplished at working in teams and able to offer creative solutions to challenging situations.  This qualification can therefore lead to a wide range of careers, not only in theatre.