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Drama

Drama website bannerGBHS Students Study Drama to… 

  • Enhance their confidence, public speaking and social skills 

  •  Develop a passion for performing 

  • Develop an appreciation of how drama can equip them for real life situations, that may or may not involve pursuing an acting career. 

  • Inspire students to take risks, think critically and builds social cohesion through collaboration. 

  • Changes and shape students’ lives through developing creativity, empathy and resilience. 

Transferable Skills

  •  Public speaking  

  • Communication 

  • Teamwork 

  • Creativity 

  •  Improvisation 

  •  Leadership  

  • Time Management 

  • Providing Feedback 

  • Personal Motivation 

  • Ability to Plan 

  • Expressing Ideas 

  •  Persuading Others 

  • Empathy  

  • Emotional Intelligence  

  • Negotiating 

  • Written Communication 

Key Stage 3

At KS3 the curriculum develops the skills of improvisation, devising and interpreting script. The skills and techniques covered with each of these topics becomes more challenging as the students progress throughout the years.  

For example, in Year 7, students are introduced to the basics of creating and devising drama, looking specifically at the technique of mime, and how to use gestures, actions, movements and face to express an emotion. Once they have mastered this, they will then learn how to incorporate voice by experimenting with variations in pitch, pace, tone and volume. They will then use these acting skills to develop theatrical techniques (such as thought tracking, split stage and flashback) and implement these into their role plays. Within this first year, the Year 7s will learn the art of improvising, and how this method can be used to devise performance work. The third unit (Interpreting Script) allows students to focus on their characterisation by applying their own interpretation of a character and learning lines for an assessed performance.  

In Years 8 and 9, the students continue with the 3 umbrella headings, learning more skilful theatrical techniques and gaining a deeper understanding of their characters to produce more poignant work. 

Key Stage 4

Performing Arts – Acting

Offered from September 2023, the Vocational Award in Performing Arts has been designed to support students who want to learn about the performance sector and the potential it can offer them for their careers or further study. This course provides students with the opportunity to develop a range of specialist skills that would support their progression.

This course focuses on the practical element, with no written exam at the end of Year 11, but coursework throughout the two years, and is a GCSE equivalent.

This course is split into 3 units, that you will complete over the duration of the two years:

  • Unit 1 –Performing – worth 30% of final grade.
  • Unit 2- Creating – worth 30% of final grade
  • Unit 3 –Performing Arts in the Industry (External) – worth 40% of final grade.

Each unit is made up of research, influence and impact, rehearsal scheduling, reflective journal, performance, and evaluation.

AQA GCSE Drama 

There are currently two GCSE groups following the AQA GCSE Drama course. Although at this level there is a greater emphasis on performance skills, the course is structured in such a way that social skills are still a key element. There are three components which form the assessments; 

  • Component 1 is a written exam worth 40%.

  • Component 2 is a devising exam with coursework worth 40%.

  • Component 3 is a performance of 2 scripted extracts worth 20%.

Key Stage 5

At KS5 level, we study the Performing Arts Diploma, worth 2 A Levels. There are a combination of externally and internally assessed units. 

The Core Modules: 

  • Investigating Practitioners’ Work.
  • Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance. 
  • Group Performance Workshop. 
  • Improvisation.
  • Musical Theatre.
  • Individual Performance Commission.
  • Performing in the Community.
  • Final Live Performance.

A Diploma in Performing Arts can open doors to a wide range of careers in the creative industries, as well as to higher education. 

With a BTEC Diploma, students automatically qualify for membership to Equity, the leading UK trade union for professional performers and creative practitioners. 

From critical thinking and public speaking, to team work and collaboration, a Diploma in Performing Arts will help students to develop valuable skills that will help them to succeed; whether they choose to work behind the scenes in the Arts or on the West End stage. 

A student might just go on to win a Golden Globe, just like former BTEC student Idris Elba! Every unit achieved will be graded as pass, merit or distinction. 

Students who do not achieve a pass in a unit will be graded unclassified – so students must get at least a pass for every unit to be awarded the qualification they have entered for. 

Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Development

Drama lends itself well to exploring issues linked to British Values and cross-cultural topics. 

We cover a range of units at KS3, linking to Peer Pressure (what is morally ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in certain situations), Gang Culture in the UK and Teenage Issues such as body image, anxiety and cyber bullying. 
Students have to learn to work together in Drama, co-operate, negotiate and listen to others, which are key transferable skills. 

Beyond the Classroom

We pride ourselves on our extra-curricular opportunities for students at Great Baddow High School. Our annual school show involves students from all year groups coming together to perform each July. Our previous productions in recent years include; The Wizard of Oz, We Will Rock You and Mary Poppins. Students are encouraged to support the shows in many backstage roles as well, taking responsibility for front of house, stage management, lighting and sound.  

We have an Acting Elites club specifically for Years 9 & 10 every week and an Acting Juniors club for Years 7-8. Our Sixth Form students help to run these clubs, working alongside staff. 

All years are given the opportunity to perform, either in a club or to showcase their performance exam work. 

Great Baddow High School students are provided with many opportunities to visit theatres. This academic year, the students have seen the following productions (2022-23): Blood Brothers, The Woman in Black, The Seagull, Heathers and Mary Poppins. 

We have also had professional actors and theatre companies in to run workshops with KS4 & 5 students at several intervals throughout the year and we work collaboratively with other Chelmsford Schools on projects and new initiatives. 

Please click on our streaming channel to see footage of the productions.