Drama at GCSE Level

Boys that take Drama at GCSE level have six Drama lessons per fortnight. These lessons are normally taught in the School Hall or Performing Arts Studio.

Exam Board: OCR

The overall aims of the GCSE syllabus are to develop your dramatic and personal skills as well as your understanding of the elements that go to create Drama, and the practical realisation of your own work. GCSE students study the following...

• Character and context
• Structure shaping and plot
• Audience
• Defining performance space
• Improvisation
• Genres, styles and conventions
• Semiotics of theatre

The course will touch upon all areas of dramatic study and it is broadly practical in approach - the ethos of the course is that the theory is learned through practice. Students will approach the course from four different angles or viewpoints, considering the roles of performers, devisers, directors and designers.

Year 10 is very much a foundation year in which most of the course material is covered. During Year 11, two coursework tasks are undertaken - one that is based upon a text, and one that is improvised. These courseworks contribute to 60% of a student's final grade.
The final, written examination covers material studied on both text and visual stimulus material, and is a summative assessment of a student's understanding of the course.

The course will require the ability to work in groups and the ability to learn and reflect through doing. It has been a popular course over the years, and one which students have enjoyed due to its largely practical approach