Drama

Welcome to the Ridgeway Academy Drama faculty. We pride ourselves on providing students a varied and purposeful Drama curriculum alongside exciting and enriching opportunities throughout the year.  We believe that the subject develops many personal and social skills and helps foster life-long confidence that our young people need in the wider world.

We are extremely proud of the excellent quality of work our students produce in Drama.  This is across all year groups in their lessons, exam pieces, extra-curricular productions. We have very high standards and instill these expectations in our students across the year groups.  Our Drama curriculum encourages the students to be curious about the origins and developments of theatre and how this has informed new writing, directing and performances.  Students learn to critically analyse live Theatre across the years groups providing further understanding and appreciation of the art form.

Welcome to the Drama Department

Key Stage 3

Students study a range of units within Key Stage 3 aimed at developing their practical drama skills and theatre appreciation.  See the Key Stage 3 overview for more details.

Year 7 Drama Curriculum Rationale and Overview

Year 8 Drama Curriculum Rationale and Overview

Year 9 Drama Curriculum Rationale and Overview

Key Stage 4

Students follow the AQA GCSE Drama course.  There are three components:

C1 – Understanding Drama, written paper, externally assessed, weighted 40%.
C2 – Devising Drama, controlled assessment, internally assessed, weighted 40%
C3 – Texts in Practice, practical assessment, externally assessed, weighted 20%

Students study Blood Brothers in Year 10, watch Live Theatre in preparation for their mock exams and devise and perform their own pieces in the summer term.  Year 11 students study a range of plays for their performance exam, complete their devising logs and prepare for the written paper.

Year 10 Drama Curriculum Rationale and Overview

Year 11 Drama Curriculum Rationale and Overview

Extra-curricular opportunities:

Musical Theatre club, Drama club and our annual whole-school musical.  We have an excellent design and technical team who work extremely hard to ensure the quality of our shows are of the highest standard.  We have excellent links with The Sandpit Theatre at Sandringham School providing our students with professional technical and design opportunities.

We organise many theatre trips and workshops throughout the year for our students.

Splendid Theatre Productions

Previous Whole School Musicals:

Station Road 2018
Oliver 2019
We Will Rock You 2020
Grease 2022
The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe 2022

Be More Chill 2023

Sweeny Todd and We Will Rock You 2024

Drama helps students develop a number of skills:

• Visual appreciation of drama and theatre
• Balanced judgement
• Information gathering and assessment
• Ability to work on your own or as part of a team
• Communication

Follow us on our Instagram page: @ridgewayperformingarts where you can keep up to date with our news and opportunities.