Drama
*Links for the key stage 3 & 4 curriculum plans are placed at the bottom of this page (in PDF format).
The Drama Department at Caister Academy offers pupils a wealth of opportunities, from timetabled lessons, to extra-curricular clubs, and trips. Although performance is a key part of any Drama department, the major role is to enable pupils to develop the necessary skills to function effectively across the curriculum and in later life as adults.
The key skills that are developed include:
• Confidence
• Communication
• Focus
• Listening
• Team work
• Speaking
• Presentation
• Problem solving
• Creativity
• Analysis
• Evaluation
At Key stage 3, every pupil has one Drama lesson per week. We also offer a year 7 after-school Drama Club, and various opportunities for KS3 pupils to take part in performances to a variety of audiences. Last year for example, as part of a project with CET, pupils performed an abridged version of Shakespeare’s, “Romeo & Juliet” as well as a joint venture with the Music department, in which pupils collaborated with all other CET schools to produce an exciting WW2 piece. Our latest Shakespeare project involves a group of year 9 pupils preparing for the upcoming performance of “As You Like It.”
At the end of year 9 pupils are given the opportunity to study Drama at GCSE level. They then have 3 timetabled lessons per week, and continue to develop their performance skills as begun in KS3. The department always produces excellent results. In 2016, 70% of pupils achieved an A*-C grade, as well as a staggering 30% achieving A*-A. Results last year were also impressive, with 50% of pupils achieving an A*-B grade.
Numerous trips are offered by the department – we have recently taken 40 pupils to London for our annual theatre tours trip. We watched, “Alice’s Adventure’s Underground,” “Dreamgirls” and “School of Rock!” as well as having participated in workshops run by professional actors and directors from the shows. Younger pupils also had the opportunity to watch the performances of their older peers, as well as various trips to Norwich, the most recent being to the Theatre Royal to see Shakespeare’s, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Pupils who leave Caister Academy having studied Drama, do so with confidence and pride. A real sense of achievement is felt by all who take part, with many pupils achieving above and beyond what they ever thought possible.