Drama

"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being"
- Oscar Wilde.

Through a varied programme of Drama at Acle Academy, all pupils have the valuable opportunity to develop their skills in performance and appreciation of it. Students will be exposed to all elements of performing arts and will study a range of texts, techniques and theories within the world of theatre. Students will work to increase their collaboration, communication and independence skills, whilst developing resilience, critical analysis skills and a passion for evaluating the world around them - all fundamental life skills.

All pupils are given the opportunity to create and devise, design and perform, develop and evaluate work surrounding different themes throughout key stages 3 and 4. The core aim of the Drama department, is that they will leave with a passion for performance and be confident, approachable and flexible young people.

In the wider Performance Studies faculty, we are underpinned by a set of eight values: teamwork; respect; inspiration; equality; determination; courage; excellence; and friendship. Staff across the faculty explicitly teach students to express these values, alongside the skills they develop in Drama. Fundamentally, these eight values serve to prepare students for the world beyond education. Drama promotes students to enhance their teamwork skills and treat everyone with respect in the safe environment of the studio.

Students will take inspiration from the varied stimuli they are introduced to and strive for excellence in their theatre making. Collaborating with each other will ensure students develop the courage and determination to perform independently to the best of their ability. The communication skills that our young people will leave with, will aid them in their friendships for the rest of their lives.

Across the faculty, we assess students using a holistic framework, 'Head, Heart, Hands'. Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils are marked on their: thinking skills ('Head'), including knowledge, understanding and analysis; skills and application ('Hands'), including acting techniques, devising skills, and problem solving; and motivation and effort ('Heart'), including respect, passion and resilience. Assessment in this format enables students to understand their strongest areas and actively address areas of weakness. This method of assessment gives students the freedom needed for the subjective nature of Drama, promoting students to confidently justify stylistic choices

Teaching and learning in the Drama department at Acle Academy follows a layered process. Students learn theory and practical skills relevant to 'The 5 Elements' of Drama. As each unit progresses, students build up an armoury of skills that they are able to demonstrate practically. Combined with studying the design aspects of theatre and the exploration of different themes in texts, students are not only prepared for the demands of GCSE Drama, where they will hone their collaboration, communication and independence skills at this higher level of study, but also the wider world as these skills are transferrable across many aspects of life.

Drama at Acle is inherently fun, rewarding and progressive. Students will have opportunity to take part in school productions at an extra-curricular level, be it as performers or part of the technical and design teams. We hope that students will feel confident to move forward in their education as confident, approachable and flexible young people, providing a platform for them to continue with an invested interest in the world of theatre.