Drama enables students to develop key skills, such as confidence, communication, problem-solving and team-work, that are highly desirable to employers, colleges and universities. The skills developed are applicable to a wide range of employment and education sectors, not just the creative industries.
Our links with Birmingham Hippodrome Education Network allow us to offer incredible performance opportunities, both within the Academy and the local community, as well as regular contact with professionals currently working within the Creative Arts industries.
Drama is delivered within the L4L curriculum in Year 7. This includes a Silent Movies project, where students plan, create and film their own silent movies.
Students practically explore a published play, focusing on characterization, themes and staging techniques.
Students will create their own performance pieces, using different stimulus items each lesson. They will be taught a range of drama techniques to use within their devised work, including mime, slow motion and narration.
Using historical facts, students will create their own scenes that explore the characters and context of the famous ship Titanic.
Students will explore the origins behind superstitions and create their own pieces, using a range of physical theatre styles, to showcase their findings.
Students will create their own performance pieces, using different stimulus items each lesson. They will build on the dramatic techniques learnt in Year 8, using a range of these within their devised work.
At KS4 we deliver the RSL Creative and Performing Arts (Acting) qualification. In Year 10 students will complete the following units;
Students practically explore film acting techniques, visit a television studio and create their own short films.
Students will explore two contrasting play texts, one classic and one modern, perform a scene from each play and evaluate their performance.
In Year 11 students will complete the following unit;
In this externally set exam, students will plan, rehearse and perform devised or scripted work to a live audience.
Studying Drama can lead directly to a career within the Performing Arts industry, in one of thousands of roles, not just that of an actor. The Creative Arts industry currently the fastest growing industry in the UK, accounting for 1 in 11 jobs.
Studying Drama can also lead to Level 3 Performing Arts courses.
Crucially, studying Drama can support a student’s progression into any career or Level 3 course due to the desirable skill set that students develop as part of their studies. These include, but are not limited to, creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, communication skills, presentation skills, resilience, leadership and self-management.
RSL Acting is 100% coursework based, with evidence being presented through a mixture of written coursework and video evidence of performance. The first two units are assessed by teaching staff and the final unit is carried out under controlled assessment conditions and is sent to the exam board for assessment.
Students who choose to study Drama must have a passion for the subject, enjoy a practical approach to their learning and be able to work with others. Students will need to perform to a live audience on several occasions throughout the course, so must enjoy performing.
Shireland Collegiate Academy has a partnership with Hippodrome Education Network. This partnership enables us to offer professional experiences to the students, with performance opportunities and regular contact with professional performing artists. There are several opportunities to watch live professional performances at the theatre, as well as behind the scene tours of both theatres and television studios.
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Shireland Collegiate Academy
Waterloo Road
Smethwick
B66 4ND
