“Drama is life with the boring parts cut out” – Alfred Hitchcock
The drama department at Isleworth & Syon is a vibrant and thriving area of the school which gives students the opportunity to nurture and develop their creativity, confidence and discipline. The curriculum offered across all three key stages is wide-ranging and challenging.
Beyond the requirements of the courses offered, students learn the skills required to work within the industry. Recently, Isleworth & Syon students have taken places to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London Academy of Music and the Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Bristol Old Vic, the Institute of the Arts Barcelona (IAB), Bath Spa University, St. Mary’s University (Twickenham) and Greenwich University. In addition, students have successfully auditioned for the National Youth Theatre, RADA Youth Company and Lyric Youth Theatre. We are very proud that one of our recent alumni, Taheen Modak will be seen in ITV drama ‘The Bay’ in March 2019 and made his West End debut at The Old Vic in early 2019.
The subject equips you with skills that are essential for the real world; from delivering a closing statement as a barrister, making a sales pitch, resolving disputes, to simply working in a collaborative and supportive manner.
The department is staffed by specialists in the field of Drama, who are themselves experienced performers, writers and directors.
View the staff team
Curriculum Leader
Mr T McDonnell
Teaching Staff
Miss G Bevis
Summary
All students study drama for one hour a week in Year 7 and 8, with the option to have two lessons a week in Year 9.
The aims of the course of study are:
to give students a life-long love of the subject
to develop their creativity, confidence and discipline
to acquire the skills to write about the subject with accuracy and insight
to develop skills transferable to the wider world
to equip students with the skills needed to be successful in the subject at Key Stage 4.
Curriculum Content
Year 7
Curriculum
The Arrival An introduction to some of the most fundamental drama techniques through the theme of arrival.
School Production – ‘A Christmas Carol’ A study of some of the key characters, themes and scenes from ‘A Christmas Carol’ in expectation of the Year 7 performance.
Oliver Twist Using the playtext of Charles Dickens’ classic novel to examine character and circumstances and the Victorian era.
Greek Theatre A practical exploration of the style and techniques in Greek theatre, many of which are the foundation of modern drama.
The Investigation A development and application of the drama techniques explored over the year.
Assessment
The Arrival Continuous assessment of in class rehearsal, performance and evaluation End of term test
School Production – ‘A Christmas Carol’ Performance assessment of a piece related to the themes of A ‘Christmas Carol’ End of term test
Oliver Twist Continuous assessment of in class rehearsal, performance and evaluation Performance of a scripted scene between Fagin, Bill Sykes and Nancy End of term test
Greek Theatre Continuous assessment of in class rehearsal, performance and evaluation End of term test
The Investigation Continuous assessment of in class rehearsal, performance and evaluation Hot seat performance of a self-created character
Progress & Preparation Activities (PPA)
PPA sheets will be uploaded in due course.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for drama. You can log in with the following details:
User: isleworthtw75lj Pass: theday
Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 8 curriculum.
Darkwood Manor Exploration and application of the acting skills and techniques used in the horror genre.
School Production – ‘A Christmas Carol’ A study of some of the key characters, themes and scenes from A Christmas Carol in preparation for the whole school production at the end of November.
Developing Stagecraft Using Off Balance theatre company’s version of ‘Robin Hood’. The students will develop their skills to devise their own original work in a new theatrical style.
The Holocaust Exploring a sensitive historical topic through the medium of drama to gain a greater empathetic understanding of the appalling treatment of Jewish people.
Film Students will extend their knowledge and understanding of the way that films are constructed for an audience.
Film Students will extend their knowledge and understanding of the way that films are constructed for an audience.
Assessment
Darkwood Manor Practical – On going assessment of the students’ ability to create drama using a classic drama structure. Written – An evaluation of the use of physical skills by an actor in The Others
School Production – ‘A Christmas Carol’ Practical – An audition scene
Developing stagecraft Practical – Assessment in original performance piece. Written – An evaluation of the use of voice by an actor in Robin Hood
The Holocaust Continuous assessment of in class rehearsal, performance and evaluation
Film Continuous assessment of in class rehearsal, performance and evaluation Written – A test on subject matter covered over the half term
Progress & Preparation Activities (PPA)
PPA sheets will be uploaded in due course.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for drama. You can log in with the following details:
User: isleworthtw75lj Pass: theday
Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 8 curriculum.
Off Balance: ‘Robin Hood’ (Part 1 and Part 2) – Off Balance’s version of ‘Robin Hood’, used in Developing Stagecraft.
BBC News – an interesting BBC article about an upcoming multimedia production of the life of Anne Frank
Film-making – film seen in class that details the shots used in film making.
Year 9
Curriculum
An Actor Prepares An exploration and development of naturalism in the twentieth century; using the work of Constantin Stanislavski and Katie Mitchell.
Scripted project GCSE-style performance project using a section from ‘Lord of the Flies’.
Modern Practitioners An exploration of the style and techniques of physical theatre practitioners Bertholt Brecht and Frantic Assembly.
Devised project GCSE-style devised thematic performance project based on a GCSE stimulus.
Live theatre evaluation Analysis and application of the skills required to write about performance at GCSE.
Lizzie Borden Students make use of the skills they have learnt over the course of Key Stage 3 to reconstruct a famous unsolved case.
Assessment
An Actor Prepares Practical – Use of landmark rehearsals to assess students’ ability to apply the style and techniques of two key practitioners using extracts of text from well-known pieces of theatre. Written – An evaluation on a performance from Blood Brothers. Test on subject matter covered over the half term.
Scripted Project Practical – Assessed final performance of script. Written – An evaluation of the student’s success in their final performance as a character from ‘Lord of the Flies’.
Modern Practitioners Practical – Use of landmark rehearsals to assess students’ ability to work within groups to produce better collaborative work. Written – A test on subject matter covered over the half term.
Devised project Practical – Assessed final performance of script. Written – A development log of the initial and middle stages of the creation of the piece.
Live theatre evaluation Written – Examination in which students write extended answers in response to the National Theatre’s production of ‘Antigone’.
Lizzie Borden Practical – Ongoing assessment of rehearsal and performance process. Written – A test on subject matter covered over the half term.
Progress & Preparation Activities (PPA)
PPA sheets will be uploaded in due course.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for drama. You can log in with the following details:
User: isleworthtw75lj Pass: theday
Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 9 curriculum.
For GCSE Drama, students apply the skills they have learnt in Key Stage 3 to a much higher standard. Students rehearse for several performances, culminating in an externally-moderated performance in Year 11. In addition to this, students must complete a written examination in which they must respond to their own work and to a live theatre performance.
GCSE Performing Arts is taught to current Year 11 students, but has been discontinued for the current Year 10s. It is assessed through rehearsal and performance and an accompanying portfolio of work. There is no final examination for this course.
In Year 10, students will study the following topics:
Set Text – ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly
Performing from a Text
Live Theatre review
Devising Theatre
Assessment
Performing from a Text (Mock examination) Performance of sections from selected playtexts in a mock version of the performance examination.
Devising Theatre (Mock controlled assessment) Students create, develop and perform an original piece of drama in response to a brief. Evidence will include a 900-word portfolio, performance, and evaluation of the piece.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for drama. You can log in with the following details:
User: isleworthtw75lj Pass: theday
Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 10 curriculum.
BBC Bitesize: GCSE Drama – BBC Bitesize revision on a broad range of aspects of the theatre making process.
Digital Theatre Plus – a service we subscribe to, offering full productions of live theatre, with an incredible wealth of resources and theatre professionals discussing aspects of their practice.
Eduqas – links to additional resources to help with all three components of the course.
Year 11
Curriculum
In Year 11, students will study the following topics:
Set Text – ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly
Performing from a Text
Live Theatre review
Devising Theatre
Assessment
Component 1 – Devising Theatre (Moderated performance) Original piece of drama – 40% of GCSE
Students create, develop and perform an original piece of drama in response to a brief. Evidence will include a 900 word portfolio, performance and evaluation of the piece.
Component 2 – Performing from a Text (External examination) 20% Performance – 20% of GCSE
Students perform two sections from a playtext written before the year 2000.
Component 3 – Interpreting Theatre Written examination – 1 hour 30 minutes – 40% of GCSE
Examination consisting of two sections:
Section A: Set Text – Series of questions about ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly from the perspective of director, actor and designer Section B: Live Theatre Review – A review of a piece of live theatre seen during the course looking at the acting or a technical aspect of the production.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for drama. You can log in with the following details:
User: isleworthtw75lj Pass: theday
Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 11 curriculum.
BBC Bitesize: GCSE Drama – BBC Bitesize revision on a broad range of aspects of the theatre making process.
Digital Theatre Plus – a service we subscribe to, offering full productions of live theatre, with an incredible wealth of resources and theatre professionals discussing aspects of their practice.
Eduqas – links to additional resources to help with all three components of the course.
At KS5, we offer A level drama & theatre studies. where, students examine drama practically and in writing to a high academic level. There is sustained study of a series of classic and contemporary drama texts. Additionally, students must create an original piece of drama using the techiques and principles of a key practitioner. There are numerous theatre visits and opportunities to meet theatre and arts professionals in preparation for the written examination at the end of Year 13.
A level Drama & Theatre Studies
Specification Code: Level: A level Examination Board: AQA
Year 12
Curriculum
In Year 12, students will study the following topics:
Component 1 – Drama and Theatre
Section A: Drama through the ages – ‘Antigone’ by Sophocles
Section C: Live theatre Production
Component 2 – Creating Original Drama
Assessment
Component 2 – Creating Original Drama Working notebook out of 40. Contribution to the final devised performance out of 20.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for drama. You can log in with the following details:
User: isleworthtw75lj Pass: theday
Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 12 curriculum.
Digital Theatre + – a service we subscribe to, offering full productions of live theatre, with an incredible wealth of resources and theatre professionals discussing aspects of their practice.
AQA – links to additional resources to help with all three components of the course.
Year 13
Curriculum
In Year 13, students will study the following topics:
Component 1 – Drama and Theatre
Section B: 20th and 21st Century drama – ‘Our Country’s Good’ by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Section C: Live theatre Production
Component 3 – Making theatre (practical)
Assessment
Component 3 – Creating Original Drama> Performance of Extract 3 (40 marks) and reflective report (20 marks) – 30% of A-level
Component 1 – Drama and Theatre Section A: Drama through the ages – ‘Antigone’ by Sophocles (25 marks) Section B: 20th and 21st Century drama – ‘Our Country’s Good’ by Timberlake Wertenbaker (30 marks) Section C: Live theatre Production (25 marks)
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for drama. You can log in with the following details:
User: isleworthtw75lj Pass: theday
Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 12 curriculum.
Digital Theatre+ – a service we subscribe to, offering full productions of live theatre, with an incredible wealth of resources and theatre professionals discussing aspects of their practice.
‘Our Country’s Good’ – A series of archive documentation related to the original 1988 production of ‘Our Country’s Good’
AQA – links to additional resources to help with all three components of the course.
School Production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ – November Auditions take place in the final week of June for the following year’s production. Students can participate as actors or as designers, stage management, lighting or wardrobe/costume. Recent productions include ‘The Government Inspector’, ‘Great Expectations’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Private Peaceful’ and ‘The Tempest’.
Drama Festival Showcase of some of the most outstanding work from class from Year 7 to Year 13. An opportunity for students and parents/carers to see the range of talent on show.
Year 7 Drama Club Weekly afterschool workshops run from September until July for all students in Year 7. This culminates in performances at the Carol Concert, Summer Arts & Technology Evening and end-of-term assemblies.
Year 8 and 9 Drama Club Weekly afterschool workshops run from January until July for the students. This culminates in a performance at Summer Arts & Technology Evening and a film shown at key events.
Old Vic Schools’ Club An opportunity for senior students from 10, 11, 12 and 13 to attend theatre production at the Old Vic and receive expert workshops free of charge.
Theatre Visits Students attend a wide variety of theatre performances on a regular basis. Recent productions seen include ‘Berberian Sound Studio’, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’, ‘The American Clock’, ‘Hadestown’, ‘Dealing with Clair’, ‘Mood Music’, ‘Fanny and Alexander’ ‘Things I Know to be True’, ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘Twist’, ‘The Girl from the North Country’ and ‘DNA’.
