Drama

Developing confident young people and promoting in them an active appreciation of the performing arts, through creative and practical explorations of their world.

“If you were born with the ability to change someone’s perspective or emotions, never waste that gift. It is one of the most powerful gifts God can give—the ability to influence.” 

Drama at Ipswich School does just that. We pride ourselves on ensuring our pupils develop into confident young people and promote in them an active appreciation of the performing arts, through creative and practical explorations of their world. We provide an exciting wealth of opportunities both in and out of the classroom.

Lower School

The introduction of core dramatic techniques and theatre conventions provides pupils with a superb foundation from which to create meaningful and relevant theatre. They will explore a range of stimuli: music, poetry, art, stories, plays and issues. This history of theatre is also brought to life through practical improvisations and interpretation of well known scripts. Pupils are encouraged to become creative thinkers, clear communicators and confident performers.

We run an annual Year 8 drama trip in the Summer term to a major West End Show, previously we have seen ‘Frozen’ and the next trip will be to ‘My Neighbour Totoro’. For some it will be their ‘goodbye’ to the subject but for others it keeps them enthused for a return to their studies and is a lovely end of year celebration.

Middle School

We are very excited to extend our curriculum to all 7 year groups. Previously Year 9 provision was through an after school project, for which they had to sign up and pay a small fee, but now Year 9 receive 8 lessons per fortnight. Although we are not starting the GCSE course in Year 9 we are building the skills, practitioner knowledge and creative/collaborative practices that are required at GCSE. We will also layer in some of the written elements in a more condensed fashion so that students are aware that this is an academic option at GCSE and will require considerable written work’

At GCSE, following the Edexcel specification, our drama pupils learn to evaluate as well as to create and perform. They undertake study in three key areas:

1. DEVISING 40% – Create and develop a devised piece from a stimulus
Performance of this devised piece or design realisation for this performance.
Analyse and evaluate the devising process and performance.

There are two parts to the assessment:

A portfolio covering the creating and developing process and analysis and evaluation
between 1500–2000 words and a devised performance/design realisation.

2. PERFORMANCE FROM TEXT 20%
Students will either perform in and/or design for two key extracts from a performance text. Performance/design realisation covering both key extracts is worth 48 marks. If two separate performances are done covering two key extracts, then each performance/design realisation is worth 24 marks.

Externally assessed either by visiting examiner or by examiner assessing the recorded live performance.

3. THEATRE MAKERS IN PRACTICE 40% – WRITTEN EXAM

Section A: Bringing Texts to Life
This section consists of one question broken into five parts (short and extended responses) based on an unseen extract from the chosen performance text. 

Section B: Live Theatre Evaluation
This section consists of two questions requiring students to analyse and evaluate a live theatre   performance they have seen.

“Drama has helped me to grow, not only as a performer but also as a person. It has filled me with confidence and ambition, and affirmed my love for the subject which I had never loved that way before” Year 11 Drama student

Sixth Form

The theoretical study of practitioners, theatre history and theatrical genres underpin practical explorations, encouraging our pupils to interpret text in challenging and innovative ways. Pupils will perform published scripts, and will learn to devise and write their own work. The course provides you with transferable skills, including teamwork, problem solving and the ability to deal with challenging situations, that are desirable in many different careers. In fact, recent research concluded that drama and economics were a good bet for students wanting to take an essay-based subject at a Russell Group university.

We currently study the Edexcel syllabus and offer the two-year linear course. This is comprised of the following components:

1. DEVISING 40%
• Creating an original piece of theatre based on a stimulus and a key practitioner. Students can take the role of performer/designer/director.
• A portfolio evidencing the devising process and evaluating the final product.

2. TEXT IN PERFORMANCE 20%
• A group performance of an extract from a professionally published play
• A monologue/duologue from a published play.

3. THEATRE MAKERS IN PRACTICE 40% (WRITTEN EXAM)
• Evaluation of live theatre
• Deconstruction of a text from page to stage in light of the work of a key practitioner.
• Interpreting a performance text and re-imagining a directorial concept.

“Thank you for letting us have so much freedom; I don’t think many drama teachers would be brave enough” Sixth Form student

In drama, with great risk comes great reward.

Exam results

The average of the results in Drama over the most recent three year period (2024, 2023, 2022) is: