Drama

Academy 360 is an all-through Academy and this page provides an overview of Drama across our Secondary phase.

Here you will find information about our curriculum intent, implementation and impact for Drama, as well as how we support all pupils to succeed. This includes the strategies and adaptations we use to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Please use the drop-down menus below to explore Drama in more detail, depending on which phase of the Academy you are interested in. Each section outlines how Drama is taught, developed and assessed, ensuring clear progression throughout the Secondary phase.

Curriculum Intent – Drama

At Academy 360 in Drama, we aim to develop confidence, creativity and communication skills, ensuring all pupils can engage, express themselves and grow. Through performance, script work and devising, students build teamwork, empathy and resilience while exploring different cultures and perspectives. Critical thinking and self-reflection are nurtured through analysis and evaluation, enhancing problem solving and adaptability. Whether pursuing Drama further or applying its transferable skills elsewhere. Students leave with a strong foundation in leadership, collaboration and self-expression. 

The Drama curriculum is designed as a coherent learning journey that builds on KS2 experiences of storytelling, role play and cooperation, and prepares students for further study, employment and life beyond Academy 360. Drama develops essential life skills – communication, teamwork, problem solving and resilience – while also fostering creativity and self expression. 

The curriculum is structured around five threshold concepts that underpin all learning in Drama: 

• Performance as a Universal Language (Performing)  

• Devising  

• Collaboration and Ensemble Work 

• Text for Performance (Reading) 

• Theatre as a Tool 

These threshold concepts are introduced in accessible and engaging ways in Key Stage 3 and revisited with increasing complexity. This allows students to secure foundational knowledge before applying it to more sophisticated dramatic work. Over time, students develop both substantive knowledge (dramatic techniques, styles, practitioners and texts) and disciplinary knowledge, learning to think, create, rehearse and evaluate like theatre makers. 

In Year 7, students are introduced to Drama as a collaborative art form. They explore performance skills, basic dramatic techniques, and the idea of theatre as a means of telling stories and exploring ideas. Students begin to understand how body, voice and space communicate meaning and are introduced to ensemble work and simple devising tasks. 

In Year 8, learning is deepened through more structured devising and performance work. Students take on defined roles within an ensemble, develop confidence in collaboration, and explore a wider range of themes and stimuli. They begin to work with short scripts and extracts, developing skills in interpreting text for performance. 

In Year 9, students consolidate their learning through more ambitious performance and devising projects. They explore how theatre can be used as a tool to comment on social issues, convey messages and influence audiences. Students refine their ability to work independently and collaboratively, apply performance skills with control, and evaluate both their own work and the work of others using subject specific language. 

Currently, Year 11 students complete the BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts, developing practical performance skills, an understanding of the performing arts industry, and professional working practices. There is no Year 10 Drama cohort. 

From the current Year 9 onwards, Drama will be offered as a KS4 option through the WJEC Vocational Award in Performing Arts (Drama pathway). This qualification builds directly on the KS3 threshold concepts, allowing students to apply their performance, devising, teamwork and evaluative skills in an industry focused context. Students develop high quality practical work alongside reflective and written evidence, preparing them for further study or employment in the creative industries. 

Assessment in Drama is purposeful and ongoing. Formative assessment occurs through rehearsal feedback, questioning, peer and self evaluation, and performance reflection. Summative assessment includes end of unit performances, devising projects, and written or verbal evaluations at KS3, alongside internally assessed and externally moderated units at KS4. Assessment informs planning and supports all students to make strong progress. 

Inclusion is fundamental to the Drama curriculum. All students are supported to participate and succeed regardless of confidence, prior experience or additional needs. Tasks are scaffolded, roles are flexible, and clear modelling ensures accessibility. Drama provides a safe space where diverse experiences, identities and perspectives are valued and explored. 

Drama connects meaningfully with other areas of the curriculum. It strengthens literacy through script reading and evaluation, supports PSHE through the exploration of identity, relationships and social issues, develops physical and mental wellbeing through movement and expression, and aligns closely with other performing arts subjects. 

Quality assurance is maintained through lesson drop ins, moderation of performance work, curriculum reviews, and student voice. These processes ensure the Drama curriculum remains ambitious, inclusive and impactful. 

Contributing to our A360 Curriculum Intent in Drama, we contribute to our whole school intent by: 

How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?

Students who are disadvantaged, including those with multiple barriers, are actively considered in curriculum planning and sequencing to ensure equitable access, targeted support, and the best possible outcomes for all. 

In Drama, disadvantaged students are actively supported through an inclusive and flexible curriculum that removes barriers to participation. Learning is sequenced from low stakes, collaborative activities to more demanding performance work, allowing confidence and skills to develop over time. Ensemble based learning, flexible roles and carefully selected texts ensure all students can access and demonstrate understanding regardless of literacy level or prior experience. Targeted grouping, explicit modelling and scaffolded evaluation enable disadvantaged students to achieve success, build resilience and make strong progress alongside their peers.  

Literacy Skills

Students develop strong literacy skills within Drama through deliberate opportunities to read, write speak and listen using subject-specific vocabulary and language, enabling them to communicate and think critically with confidence. 

Students develop strong literacy skills in Drama through purposeful and regular opportunities to read, write, speak and listen in meaningful contexts. Through the exploration of scripts, stimuli and practitioner ideas, students learn to read for meaning and interpretation, using subject specific vocabulary to analyse character, intention and dramatic structure.

Oracy is central to the subject, with structured discussion, rehearsal dialogue and performance enabling students to articulate ideas clearly, justify creative choices and respond thoughtfully to others. Written and verbal evaluation tasks develop critical thinking, encouraging students to reflect on impact, technique and audience response. By consistently using and applying dramatic terminology in both spoken and written forms, students become confident communicators who can express ideas precisely and think critically across the curriculum. 

Qualifications

Students leave our academy with excellent qualifications that give them a wide range of choices and opportunities as they move into the next stage of education and adult life.

Through encouraging qualities that are essential for both academic success and a wide range of career opportunities. Students also gain valuable transferable skills such communication, teamwork, problem solving and resilience. 

Strong Character

Students develop strong character traits that will support them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world 

We foster resilience, confidence, adaptability, empathy and strong communication skills to equip students with character traits to navigate challenges. In Drama, these character traits are developed through sustained practical and collaborative experiences. Students build resilience by rehearsing, refining and responding to feedback, learning that performance improves through perseverance rather than instant success. Confidence grows as students present ideas,  

Perform in front of others and take creative risks in a supportive ensemble environment. Drama naturally develops adaptability, as students must respond to new stimuli, adjust performances, and problem solve when ideas change or challenges arise during rehearsal. Through exploring characters, narratives and real world issues, students develop empathy, gaining insight into different perspectives, experiences and emotions. Strong communication skills are embedded through spoken dialogue, group discussion, performance and evaluation, enabling students to articulate ideas clearly, listen actively and collaborate effectively. Together, these experiences equip students with the personal qualities needed to navigate challenges both within and beyond the classroom. 

Physical and Mental Health

Our students develop their physical and mental health, alongside their intellectual growth.

In Drama, students engage in purposeful practical activities that support both physical and intellectual development. Body awareness and coordination are developed through structured warmups, movement exercises, spatial awareness tasks and physical theatre activities that require control, balance and focus. Emotional wellbeing is supported by providing a safe and creative outlet for self expression through role play, improvisation and performance, allowing students to explore thoughts and feelings in a supported environment.

Intellectual growth is fostered through devising, script interpretation and problem solving tasks, where students must make creative decisions, respond to challenges and refine ideas collaboratively. Activities such as hotseating, tableaux, forum theatre and performance evaluation encourage students to think critically, justify choices and consider the impact on an audience, developing both creative and analytical skills alongside personal wellbeing. 

Cultural Experiences and Opportunities

Students have access to high-quality cultural experiences and extra-curricular opportunities.

Students can take part in weekly extra-curricular activities such as dance and drama clubs and our annual school Productions. There are opportunities for cultural experiences by allowing students to take part in workshops and activities outside the classroom such as theatre trips.

Careers Information

Students engage with high-quality careers information and guidance across all key stages.

We connect students to industry professionals through learning and practical workshops where we highlight key career paths in and outside of theatre and film. 

British Values

Students have a highly developed understanding of the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

In Drama, British Values are embedded through practical collaboration and the exploration of diverse perspectives, allowing students to experience these values in action rather than in isolation. Through ensemble work, students practise mutual respect and tolerance, learning to listen to others’ ideas, negotiate decisions and value different viewpoints.

Devising and performance activities promote individual liberty, as students are encouraged to express personal ideas and interpretations within a structured framework. By studying and performing plays and stimuli that explore themes such as human rights, justice, equality and social responsibility, students examine complex issues from multiple perspectives, developing empathy and open mindedness. Discussion, reflection and evaluation help students consider the impact of actions and choices on others, reinforcing a shared understanding of responsibility, fairness and respect within both the classroom and wider society. 

Protected Characteristics

Students have a strong understanding and appreciation of all protected characteristics, including race, gender, religion, disability and sexual orientation.

Students explore diverse characters, social issues and human experiences through both textbased and practical Drama activities, which actively develops empathy and respect for others. By studying and performing extracts from plays that explore themes such as inequality, identity, conflict, disability and human rights, students are required to consider situations from perspectives different from their own. Through role play, hot seating and characterisation, students step into the lives of others, examining motivations, emotions and consequences of actions. 

Devising work based on real world issues, news stories or personal narratives encourages students to engage thoughtfully with social and moral questions, while forum theatre and discussion allow them to explore alternative viewpoints and outcomes. These experiences help students develop a deeper understanding of difference, challenge stereotypes and build respect, compassion and empathy for others within both the classroom and wider society. 

Click the link below to see our Secondary Drama Curriculum

Drama 5 Year Curriculum Map