The Drama Department
The Drama Department has recently grown, we are now able to deliver Specialist Drama teaching to all year groups studying at Presdales School. Our expansion into lower school curriculum has been greatly received and the students are now able to study a wide range of texts, practitioners and theatrical styles!
Our Vision and Aims
The Drama Department at Presdales School aims to support the school’s vision that every student should strive to be the best they can be by building up their independence, their love of learning, and their creative thinking. It is our belief that it is an understanding of, and empathy for, other people’s feelings and situations that make us form positive relationships and provide an understanding of the world in which we live. The Drama Department aims to provide all students with the emotional intelligence necessary to ensure they become positive contributors to our society. Our diverse, and engaging curriculum allows all students to Drama subject knowledge, and develop their speaking, listening, thinking, and collaboration skills. We encourage students to explore and take risks as well as developing a sense of responsibility thereby becoming independent learners. We want our pupils to feel good about their successes, yet they should also know that it is reasonable to not be a success – yet. The key here is that we give our students the resilience to keep trying. It is our aim that pupils will leave our school with ambition, positive self-esteem and an air of confidence that will equip them for the demands of the world of work. We encourage and support our drama students to:
- Formulate, express, and defend individual ideas and opinions when working on dramatic performances
- Speak, and perform on/in the style of a given topic for an extended period of time
- Participate in solo, pair, and group dramatisations on a variety of topics
- Acquire good speaking and listening habits to understand, enjoy, and appreciate different dramatic texts, and theatrical styles.
- Communicate effectively through speech and writing, in both imaginary and everyday situations
- Develop the ability to express themselves imaginatively, and creatively.
KS3 students now study one lesson of Drama every week taught in their teaching groups. Drama lessons are predominantly focused on performance skills, the practical approach encourages development of imagination, linguistic and social skills through improvisations and scripted work. The study of Drama models assessment components at GCSE, requiring students to understand how to direct and design as well as perform.
