DRAMA - What You Will Learn

At Key Stage 4 Drama is not a statutory subject and pupils can choose to study it at examiniation level. This page contains information about the course. Drama is not studied at Key Stage 3.

Number of lessons per week: 2 lessons (2 hours)

Qualification: General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)

Examining board: AQA

Further information and full course specification: AQA website

This page:
» Aims
» Assessment objectives
» Subject content
» Scheme of assessment

Aims

• An understanding and response to a wide range of play texts, an appreciation of the ways in which playwrights achieve their effects and the ability to communicate the authors’ intentions to an audience;
• An awareness of social, historical and cultural contexts and influences through an investigation of plays and other styles of dramatic presentation;
• Increased self and group awareness and the ability to appreciate and evaluate the work of others;
• Skills of creativity, self-confidence, concentration, self-discipline and communication.

Assessment objectives

The examination will assess candidates’ ability to:

• Demonstrate ability in and knowledge and understanding of the practical skills in drama necessary for the realisation of a presentation to an audience, working constructively with others;
• Respond with knowledge and understanding to plays and other types of drama from a performance perspective and to explore relationships and comparisons between texts and dramatic styles of different periods and of different cultures in order to show an awareness of their social context and genre;
• Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of their own and others’ work with sensitivity as they develop and present their work in an appropriate format for communication.

Summary of subject content

Coursework

Candidates must offer two different options for coursework. In order to meet the requirement for GCSE specifications in Drama that candidates experience both scripted and unscripted work, candidates must choose one option from each of the two groups listed below.

There is also a requirement for GCSE specifications in Drama that all candidates must present some performance work. Candidates may therefore present only one technical and design skill option for assessment. The other option chosen must be a performance option.

Group 1 – Scripted work

• Devised thematic work for performance to an audience
• Acting
• Set
• Costume
• Make-up
• Properties
• Masks
• Puppets
• LightingSound
• Stage management

Work for the technical and design skill options must contribute to a group performance of scripted work.

Group 2 – Unscripted work

• Devised thematic work for performance to an audience
• Improvisation
• Theatre in Education presentation
• Dance/drama
• Set
• Costume
• Make-up
• Properties
• Masks
• Puppets
• Lighting
• Sound
• Stage management

Work for the technical and design skill options must contribute to a group performance of unscripted work.

Devised thematic work for performance to an audience (Option 1) is included in both groups. This is because the key feature of this option is that the presentation devised must include both elements of script and of original work. It meets the requirement for scripted and unscripted work within the demands of the single option and performance candidates selecting Option 1 may therefore choose their second different option from either of the two groups.

Each option is divided into three parts:

1. Response to plays and other types of drama, in which candidates’ ability to "respond with knowledge and understanding to plays and other types of drama from a performance perspective and to explore relationships and comparisons between texts and dramatic styles of different periods and of different cultures in order to show
an awareness of their social context and genre" is assessed.
Part 1 is assessed through written preparatory and exploratory work.

2. Work in progress, in which candidates’ ability to “analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of their own and others’ work with sensitivity as they develop and present their work in an appropriate format for communication” is assessed.
Part 2 is assessed through preparatory and exploratory work and evaluation of the final presentation.

3. Final presentation (either performance or demonstration/artefact(s)), in which candidates’ ability to
“demonstrate ability in and knowledge and understanding of the practical skills in drama necessary for the realisation of a presentation to an audience, working constructively with others” is assessed.
Part 3 is assessed through the final presentation.

Written Paper

Candidates may choose one or both of the following sections:

Section A: Set plays
Candidates are required to study a set play from a practical perspective.
They may choose to study the play from the viewpoint of either performance or design skills.

Section B: Response to live productions seen during the course.
Candidates are required to review productions of live theatre seen during the course, considering the practical skills involved and their response to the production as a whole. The productions seen must be of substantial complete texts, as defined in 8.3 below.

Scheme of assessment

The Scheme of Assessment comprises two components: coursework and a written paper:

Coursework - 60% of the marks - 120 marks

The coursework is internally assessed and moderated by AQA.

Candidates are required to present practical work for two options.
The choice of two options must enable candidates to experience both scripted and unscripted work.

Assessment is based on the following three parts:
1. Response to plays and other types of drama;
2. Work in progress;
3. Final presentation: either performance or demonstration/artefact(s).

Written Paper - 2 hours - 40% of the marks - 80 marks

The written paper is set and marked by AQA.

Candidates are required to answer two questions, to be chosen from one or both of the following sections:

Section A: Set plays
There is a choice of six set plays. One question is set on each play, with alternatives of a performance or design perspective.

Section B: Response to live productions seen during the course.
There is a choice of four questions. If candidates answer two questions from this section, they must use a different production in answer to each question. Candidates must not use a production of a set play in answer to questions in this section.

[ top of the page ]