What can a student expect from the Faculty?

Vision & Aims

It is our intention at Darwen Vale that Drama is for everyone, and a subject concerned with the development of transferable skills that are relevant to all, whatever the future career aspirations or goals. Our Drama curriculum allows students to develop essential skills for life and those highly regarded in higher education and employment.  We have designed our curriculum so that it embeds skills and knowledge of the theatre and performance process along with a plethora of transferable skills which underpin successful Drama. We encourage discussion and debate surrounding a wide range of relevant, current and local subject matters and use these as stimulus to devise creative and imaginative pieces of work. Pupils are encouraged to put themselves in other people’s shoes and consider viewpoints which differ from their own. Drama enables students to imagine and participate in exploration of their worlds, individually and collaboratively.

The Drama curriculum is an amalgamation of both practical and theory work. Work is explored initially practically, developing student’s skills and knowledge using a ‘hands-on’ approach which is accessible for all. Learning is then embedded with written skills which allow students to analyse and evaluate performance, effectively use subject specific language and analyse characters, plot and genre. Feedback for all work is regular, timely and purposeful, ensuring that students have ample opportunity to act on this feedback and improve their work giving students the opportunity to demonstrate aspiration and resilience. Students learn to think, move, speak and act with confidence. In making and staging Drama, they learn how to be focused, innovative and resourceful, and collaborate and take on responsibilities for drama presentations. Through role and dramatic action students explore, imagine and take risks to communicate ideas, experiences and stories.

In addition to lesson time, the Drama department at Darwen Vale high School aims to provide students with suitable and regular theatre visits to experience professional theatre. We also work closely with professional theatres and theatre companies and have workshops both in and out of school from companies such as Frantic Assembly. We encourage students to support and contribute to the department and the wider school by joining Drama clubs, representing the department in open evenings and taking part in school shows and performance evenings. We encourage cross-curricular links particularly with other subjects within Expressive Arts such as Music and Art, but also within the wider school community for example History and English.

Key Stage 3 - Curriculum Overview

Year 7 - Carousel with Music, every other half term in Drama - Equivalent to one lesson every two weeks.

Year 8 - Carousel with Music, every other half term in Drama - Equivalent to one lesson every two weeks.

Year 9 Carousel with Music, every other half term in Drama - Equivalent to one lesson every two weeks.

For further details please see our 'what we teach and when we teach it' section.

Key Stage 4 - Curriculum Overview

Students can opt for Drama in Year 10. We follow the BTEC Performing Arts (Acting) Tech Award.

This encompasses three components which focus on the assessment of knowledge, skills and practices.

Component 1 Exploring the Performing Arts

Component 2 Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts

Component 3 Responding to a Brief

The first two components are assessed within school and the third is conducted under supervision and is externally assessed. There is no written examination.

What we teach and when we teach it

Drama Curriculum Map