Mrs J Hulland

Head of Drama

The Team

Introduction to the Department

Drama at St Peter’s involves an array of exciting playwrights and styles of performance, and students learn in Drama to work creatively and innovatively with others.  They learn how meaning is communicated onstage through a wide variety of theatrical techniques, they work together to create new theatre and they are able to appreciate and analyse their own and others’ performances. Drama builds presence, confidence and assurance in our students, and equips them with a clear understanding of how voice, movement and facial expression can be used to best effect.

Key Stage 3

During Key Stage 3, students build up a strong basis of skills to prepare them for GCSE or to give them transferable communication and teamwork skills. They complete units as diverse as Mime, Greek Theatre, Status, Melodrama and Commedia dell’Arte. Each year they read a full length play and perform a section from it, as well as improvising their own original performances.  These units develop their ability to research independently, solve problems, devise and script their own plays, and perform and evaluate their own and others’ work. Drama is a highly practical subject and enables our students to engage an audience and communicate effectively.

Key Stage 4

During Key Stage 4, students complete the OCR GCSE Drama course. Students are assessed on their ability to devise original drama, to interpret a script creatively and develop a role, and to analyse and evaluate their own performances and those of their peers and of professionals. Students devise an original play in response to a choice of stimuli and create a portfolio charting this creative process, either as a written document, or as a series of video recordings. They perform in two extracts from the same play for their performance exam, which is assessed by a visiting examiner. In addition, they complete a written paper responding creatively to their set text, Kindertransport, and analysing a live theatre production they have seen.           

During the course, students develop as independent, effective learners and as reflective and critical thinkers. They develop their skills of enquiry and demonstrate their competency in a wide range of practical, creative and written skills. Their skills as collaborators are honed as they learn to generate, refine and perfect their creative ideas.