Drama

The drama curriculum at Maghull has been designed to be practical, engaging and creative. It will provide opportunities to understand and create drama as a practical art form in which ideas and meaning are communicated to an audience through informed artistic choices. The main purpose of our curriculum is to allow learners to study the subject in an academic setting, interrogating this art form and applying their knowledge and understanding to the process of creating and developing drama, and to their own performance work. It will prepare learners for the study of GCSE drama or performing arts courses, as well as developing those skills that are transferrable to other curriculum areas and to support the requirements of future employment. 

At the heart of drama is the development of these skills in all young people; engagement, communication and oracy, creative imagination, clarity of expression, autonomy, leadership confidence and cooperation. There is more to drama than being able to perform on stage. Opportunities are embedded for students to be able to hone and develop performance talent but equally important is the ability to understand the purpose of the theatre we create. Methodologies of theatrical practitioners are introduced throughout the key stages to enable students not only to ‘re-enact’ but to shape their own unique ideas with a greater understanding of the need for style, intention, theatrical form and to learn to celebrate individual and unique perspectives.

Our curriculum will help create independent learners, critical thinkers and effective decision makers – all personal attributes that can make them stand out as they progress through their education and into employment. Our schemes of learning provide a challenging curriculum to ignite and engage learners’ creativity, passion and interests. The non-written assessment allows learners to explore their own interests and develop their skills in performance and design. It also provides freedom for learners to experiment and take risks with their work while developing their own style. Our curriculum has been designed to ensure an inclusive approach, allowing all learners to achieve their potential. We have looked closely at creating assessments, including written outcomes, which stem from teaching and learning and the study of drama, ensuring that the focus is on what enables all learners to make the best possible progress in the subject.