Drama

Trust Curriculum Intent

Our mission is to provide a cradle to career education that allows our children to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. By the age of 18, we want every child to have the option of university or a high quality alternative. 

Subject Curriculum Intent

"Drama at Brigshaw is a safe space where you are encouraged to be confident.  Where you put yourself into other people's shoes to explore the world around you." Created by a group of year 8 students.

Drama and Theatre at Brigshaw develops young theatre makers who take creative risks and who understand the power and importance of theatre. The Drama and Theatre curriculum at Brigshaw has four key aims; Promoting creative thinkers and risk takers, developing the confidence and resilience of our young people, broadening horizons and teaching students about different cultures and producing theatre makers who create high quality performances through the study of different genres, styles and practitioner theories.

Drama at Brigshaw inspires young people to be creative, to enjoy their education through practical exploration of all styles of theatre alongside written analysis and evaluations of live productions. Drama at Brigshaw sparks a love of theatre and a curiosity into the wider world, enabling students to not only develop their drama skills but also life skills. This is through expertly guided exploration of the fundamentals of drama scripts, devising drama, improvisation, movement and mime.  At Brigshaw we deliver exciting and diverse topics, ranging from Greek and African to Chinese and British Theatre. We work tirelessly to ensure our lessons excite and motivate students to love Drama and Theatre.  Students are challenged to put what they have learnt into strong performances, for example studying comedy through history to a point where they can create their own pantomime.  Exploring a variety of texts and topics allows students to imagine a different world to the one they live in, enabling them to picture themselves living in a different era, developing a deeper understanding of events in our history, building respect and tolerance of differences in our world and also a place to question and challenge concepts when creating their own devised performance.  Through the study of devised theatre, students create increasingly sophisticated performances from stimuli, using a style and genre of theatre they are passionate about - giving students the skills and independence to become their own practitioner.

Curriculum Principles

• Teach to the top/backwards planning is approached in the drama curriculum by the careful selection and sequencing of learning outcomes and lesson vocabulary.  This is achieved through the sharing of subject specific knowledge from subject associations, exam board mark schemes and examiner reports.  This is carefully enacted into lesson plans. Each lesson within the schemes of learning are carefully crafted and planned for the department to ensure that each lesson's objective works towards a wider goal. Vocabulary is explicitly shared with students through expert teaching techniques.  Lessons are pitched for the highest ability student to be successful with effective scaffolding implemented for all learners to achieve to the top of their academic potential.  In drama this may be through 1 to 1 modelling, teacher direction,  smaller group teaching, discussion or adapted resources. 
• Long term memory is developed in the drama curriculum through revisiting key concepts across different themes and topics to build greater breadth, depth and complexity of understanding.   Low stakes quizzing and end of topic tests assess recent and iterative knowledge to consolidate a deeper understanding.  Students revisit skills constantly through different contexts across schemes of learning at each key stage developing on these to become autonomous and mastering the skills. Formative assessment in day to day lessons and less regular summative assessment captures current and previous skill/ knowledge.
• Cognitive psychology principles are addressed in the Drama curriculum through the regular and planned provision of independent learning so that a deeper understanding of the curriculum can be built.  In Drama this may be through analysing text and writing about their artistic vision for different performance texts, pieces of extended writing reviewing live theatre and independently directing a group performance. Lesson activities are carefully planned to deliver the lesson objectives efficiently, and for students to meaningfully grapple with the work.  Students are required to “think hard” during their lessons and student attention is carefully guided by the teacher so that lesson objectives are met effectively. 

What will this look like at implementation?

Please use the links below to explore how our curriculum looks, for each year group, as a result of these guiding principles

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How can you support students’ learning from home?

Home learning is regularly set to allow students to further their knowledge of Drama.

At Key Stage 4 & 5 Students have access to resources via Google Classroom and National Theatre Online.

Visits to local theatre are always encouraged, local councils also support free or low cost theatre through theatre or culture festivals, check your council website for more details.