Subject Overview

Drama at OBA inspires young people to ‘dare to shine’every single day and aims to develop confident students who can articulate their own views in the world around them. Drama gives young people the opportunity to experience a range of different perspectives enabling them to empathise with a range of characters, roles and subtexts in plays, which allows them to relate to situations and culture better, as well as encouraging them to show compassion and be tolerant of others. ​

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Through providing professional industry experiences with high quality teaching students are immersed, regardless of ability, in exciting and challenging learning environments that enable them to develop into well-rounded individuals. Confident and highly articulate students drive forward their own learning demonstrating the application of a range of skills and strategies in every single drama lesson. Drama has the potential to mould independent, creative and resilient students who feel confident to take risks, improve from constructive criticism and be their ultimate best. ​

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/news-policy/subject-updates/drama-theatre-studies-and-performing-arts/the-importance-of-drama-transferable-skills.html

In Halton 2% of people are employed in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector which is below the national average for the North West and for the UK and we aim to contribute to this being higher in the future through a strong drama provision that develops students’ skills and talents. As a department we strive to unlock the talents of the young people who we serve and to provide them with high quality teaching and learning experiences, as well as an abundance of external industry opportunities e.g. LAMDA examinations, annual school productions, University workshops and theatre trips. 

During KS3 students have access to one hour of drama per week during which they focus on developing skills and gaining knowledge through creating, performing and evaluating drama. Students are assessed holistically, meaning that they will receive verbal feedback regularly from teacher and peer assessment. There is also a strong focus on students being able to work independently and drive forward their own progress in lessons. Subject specific terminology in years 7 and 8 form the foundation of knowledge for our drama students need to be able to progress into GCSE and A-Level specifications. The modelling of practical work, and verbal contributions are a permanent feature of drama lessons at OBA.   

At KS4 and 5 students can pick from a variety of career pathways including a performance and technical theatre route, or a combination of both.  Students can opt to study Edexcel GCSE Drama examination specification.  The course is centred on students exploring the world of theatre, analysing how theatre is created and how technical theatre enhances the audience’s enjoyment and understanding. Students must create, evaluate and analyse theatre. Students devise their own plays using current political, social and historical issues and evaluate their process in the form of a portfolio. Students will study Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and take a written exam whereby students respond from the point of view of a Director, performer and designer. 

At KS5 students can study A-Level Drama which follows the same structure as the GCSE course and provides a clear subject route for students to progress from one key stage to the next. The specification demands that students study a range of texts such as Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen and Tha Face by Polly Stenham. Students also have to devise their own performance and have a number of opportunities to develop their acting and technical skills and knowledge. 

Drama allows students to communicate and understand others in innovative ways. Drama students are less likely to have problems speaking in public and in turn, we hope, will have a more positive self-image. Drama develops emotional intelligence; it provides an outlet for emotions, thoughts and dreams and encourages students to be analytical and question the world around them. 

Staff

We are very lucky to have state of the art facilities at OBA. We have two Drama spaces; which both have technical theatre capabilities. The Drama Theatre features a contemporary End on theatre setting with retractable seating and lighting rig. The Hall Theatre features a raised proscenium arch stage, also with retractable seating and a full lighting rig. We have the Titan 1 lighting software in both spaces which students use to programme and manage the lighting for productions and experiment within classes.

Enrichment

We offer an extensive range of enrichment opportunities throughout key stage 3-5. Students have the opportunity to take part in the annual school production in December, as well as a range of smaller performances throughout the academic year. We feel passionate about our students being able to share their hard work and efforts with their friends and family where possible. 

There is also a KS3 Drama enrichment club where students take part in devising, script writing, stage make up and technical theatre. Students also have the opportunity to gain LAMDA qualifications from the prestigious ‘London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.’ At KS4 and 5 enrichment is offered to students to rehearse for upcoming performance examinations and have one to one/ whole group coursework and revision sessions. 

https://www.lamda.ac.uk/lamda-exams

Support

No student is left behind in Drama. Staff endeavour to differentiate lessons, tasks and resources to ensure everyone achieves well in lessons. We offer an extensive trips programme which the school heavily subsidises meaning every student has the same opportunity; to see outstanding professional theatre productions to enhance their enjoyment and learning of Drama and Theatre Studies

“Creativity is seeing what everyone has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.” Einstein.