At St Peter’s we believe that Drama lessons help students to see things from different points of view. It builds empathy and confidence. Drama asks questions about society, family, friendships, politics and history for example. Our Drama studios are safe places where nothing is ‘wrong’ - everything is an interpretation. We encourage peers to support each other and they know that absolute teamwork is required.
In an age where presentation is key we want our drama lessons to enable students to ‘present’ themselves in a positive light. They learn the power of body language, public speaking and creativity. They develop the ability to think on their feet reacting to unexpected events efficiently and remaining unruffled. Team work, cooperation and support - all skills highly desirable in a modern workplace.
Our aim is to introduce them to a huge range of different theatre and drama practitioners, plays and techniques. We want to encourage them to push themselves to be creative, engaging and believable performers and to use all they learn to make their work imaginative and thought provoking.
Curriculum Aims
Our Yr 7 and 8 curriculum connects with GCSE demands of Devising, Performing and Evaluation.
Year 7
We aim to give year 7 students, who haven’t done Drama as a lesson before, the opportunity to develop their confidence, group listening skills and devising and performing abilities through a variety of engaging schemes of work.
-Introduction to Drama
- Improvisation and an introduction to Frantic Assembly
- Physical Theatre-Slapstick
- Play script-Private Peaceful. Monologue
- Shakespeare-The Tempest
- Devising a group play using GCSE stimuli
Year 8
In year 8 we want to provide the students with the opportunity to be more independent and to develop their leadership skills.
- Improvisation and technical skills
- Documentary theatre-London Riots and Let Him Have It Chris
- Play Script-The Last Resort-comedy, characterisation, line learning and performance to an invited audience
- Play Script-Noughts and Crosses-issue based work
- Teacher led devising-Changes-Character, physicality, environment, mentality, growing up and technology.
- Devising own play using the GCSE exam stimuli
Year 9
- Introduction to GCSE
- Improvisation and character development
- Stanislavski-script work
- Introduction to Frantic Assembly
- Brecht (Connected to a performance of The Border by Theatre Centre)
- Verbatim Theatre.
- Devising practical prelim-Verbatim, Brecht, chair duets, theme of The Border.
- Introduction to set text-whole class performance to an invited audience
- Written exam theatre review introduction.
- Discussion re portfolio for devising exam in year 10
Year 10
Autumn
- Devising exam. Group play and individual evaluative folder. 30%
- Written essays and exam work for the written prelim. 40%
Spring
- Exam performance and portfolios completed
Summer
- Script reading for performance exam in year 11. 30%
- Continued written exam work
Year 11
Autumn
- Exam preparation for final prelim
- Group practical rehearsals for script exam
Spring
- Individual exam script pro forma written
- Exam preparation for written exam
- Practical exam
Summer
- Practical exam
- Exam preparation for exam in May
Grouping
We have two groups. They are mixed ability and usually consist of equal boys and girls.
Some students are involved in drama and music outside and inside school. Some only have their year 7 and 8 lessons as their performance and theatre experience.
Staffing
Ms Vallis: Subject Learning Leader
Mrs Comerford
Mrs Simpson
Year 7 and 8
We assess students termly, or half termly, on their devising, performing and evaluation (written and verbal) skills. We use the GCSE criteria to give the students feedback on their progress; working towards, working at and working above.
The teacher and students use a bank of statements to choose a target as their focus for the next half term. These can range from voice development, taking on bigger roles, giving more ideas and managing their distractions.
We use the school Character Compass for students to evaluate their progress in areas such as listening to others, developing confidence and leading the group.
Years 9/10/ 11
The GCSE criteria is used for all assessments, written and practical.
Devising 30%
Performing 20% written 10%
Written 40%
Students are encouraged to assess themselves and their peers and to always be evaluating and discussing what went well and what still needs development.
Year 7 and 8
Knowledge organisers and drama skills and strategies
Line learning
Play reading
Introduction to drama practitioners
Year 9
Focus on all elements of the GCSE course.
- Research into practitioners
- Script writing
- Portfolio writing
- Set text essays
- Theatre reviews
Year 10
Devising portfolio completed at home and in school throughout the year. 30%
Exam questions re set text and theatre review in preparation for written prelim, 40%
Preparation for performance exam. Script reading, character development and line learning. 30%
Year 11
- Line learning and development for performance
- Pro forma written and sent to examiner
- Ongoing preparation for written exam
- Finishing portfolio
St Peter’s prides itself on providing all students with the opportunity to see a play every year and to be involved in school productions. Sometimes we go out to see plays and musicals but we also have companies in, especially for GCSE students.
Shows we have seen recently
Matilda at Plymouth Theatre Royal
Year 10 and 11 went to see this amazing musical. They need a theatre review for their Drama GCSE. It was great to see the amazing lights, set and costumes.
Humbug by Four of Swords at St Nichols's Priory
Year 9 went to see a promenade performance of Humbug by theatre company Four of Swords. This was in the amazing St Nicholas’s Priory on Fore Street. The audience were taken around Scrouge’s house by one of the spirit’s. They even had a party in his kitchen.
Theatre Groups working with St Peter's
The Border theatre Centre
In October Theatre Centre Theatre Company came to St Peter’s to perform their production of The Border by Afsaneh Gray.
It was a “high energy, outrageous Brechtian parable that explores the lines we draw between ourselves and other people and the absurdities of borders. The Border features original songs and a live break-out debate where one girl and her dog, and the audience, find their voice
They will be back with their new show Birds and Bees on 2020/2021
Recent Student Productions
A group of students, mostly year 9, put on their own production of this play at the Cygnet Theatre. It has a very important message and the audience were very moved by the plight of the characters. It was great to show all their hard work in a professional theatre.
Fugee by Abi Morgan
Fugee: Slang for refugee of political oppression or natural disaster.
Fugeed: Something that has been lived in, soiled, stained or damaged.
Kojo is 14 but no one believes him; he's just one of the unaccompanied minors arriving in London, abandoned on the streets of the UK. Ara's from Baghdad and still hears the bombs at night. Cheung can do back flips and is from village in China that is more than a thousand years old. Orphans in London, they are the only family they have now.
Together they tell Kojo's story: a story of lost childhood, tall trees and a murder in motion; a murder by a child that everyone says is a man.
We Will Rock You!
This was a very ambitious undertaking as we knew this would be very technical show. The large cast were very dedicated and the actors playing the main characters sung their hearts out.
All the students were amazing, as were the lights. The audience joined in all the songs and clapped along, and everyone had a brilliant time
Grease
This was our first production since covid, and students were very keen to get involved. We had a cast of 140 plus tech crew which was our biggest cast ever.
We performed to 300 hundred people over 4 nights plus a performance for all of year 7.
Bugsy Malone
Our big production in 2020 was Bugsy Malone. Over 80 students were involved either on stage or backstage to make this an amazing production. Take a look at the photos in our gallery pages.
The Adams Family
In 2019 we staged a production of the Addams family. This dark, black comedy allowed our students to get into full costume and didn't disappoint in terms of showcasing the amazing hidden talents of some of our students.
The Monstrum
Fiddler on the Roof
