Drama is offered as an option at GCSE and at AS and A level (Drama and Theatre Studies). Drama a very popular subject and benefits from close support from the English curriculum, where Drama is often used to deepen and broaden the understanding of texts and for Speaking and Listening exercises, and also from extra-curricular productions and activities such as the large number of girls who take LAMDA Speech and Drama lessons and take part in the Debating Society.

Girls are led to expect and adapt to a variety of working situations from individual work, through pairs, to small-group and whole-group activities. The most useful Drama work, in the broadest sense, usually occurs when girls are working in random, or teacher-determined groupings. There may well be times when girls are given the opportunity to choose a partner for a paired activity but then the teacher places those pairs with others to form small groups.
This can be particularly useful to help support any girls who seem to become easily marginalised, either through a lack of confidence or language difficulties, perhaps in the case of girls for whom English is a second language.

Girls come to understand that drama work doesn't always culminate in a performance of every element; some exercises are for experiencing rather than showing to an audience.
They are also led to an understanding that presenting work to each other doesn't just involve the group who are performing but that critical awareness as a member of the audience is equally important. Girls are encouraged to understand the need for supportive and respectful audience discipline and to avoid unhelpful breaking of the concentration and belief of the performers at all times.

Upper III to Upper IV have one period of Drama per week.
Continuing from Lower III, the lesson is used to introduce girls to a range of basic skills, both Drama/Theatre specific and the social co-operative methods of working that will lay the foundation for future development.

In the Middle School, the single period per week comes from the overall English allocation, which was increased for this purpose. The emphasis is on developing devising and performance skills which will be useful for future presentation work, and of particular value for those who take the subject at GCSE.

At GCSE we follow the AQA Drama specification.

Drama at St Mary’s is an exciting, creative and rewarding subject which brings you many experiences and skills which not only improve your ability in and understanding of Drama but also help your confidence and progress in other subjects as well.

There are two main parts to the assessment of the GCSE:

1) 60% PRACTICAL WORK
Practical work is usually Acting, though design skills, such as Costume, Set, Lighting and Sound can be offered for one assessment.
There are two groups of practical work that you must do:
• Scripted work
• Unscripted work
We normally manage two assessments of each category, with the best mark from each being put forward at the end of the course.
Each assessment must also have a 500 word write-up, which shows your understanding of the style of performance, historical/ social background of your material, with comparisons to similar themes in other plays/ cultures.

2) 40% WRITTEN EXAM – (2 Hours)
You answer two questions, from a choice of ten, in two sections:
A) Set Plays
B) Response to Live Productions Seen During the Course - We go on theatre trips and make notes on the acting and design skills that we see.

As well as developing confidence and acting skills, you also learn to operate the lighting and sound equipment for a more complete understanding of the production process. Group work is essential, so being able to get along with others when working under pressure develops your tolerance and self discipline.

Examination Board:AQA

Lower VI: AS

3 Units are studied:

Unit 1: Practical - Devised drama produced and performed in a group, inspired by an aspect of the AS course content.  Skills nominated are usually Acting, but the department is fully able to support girls who wish to offer Design elements such as Lighting and Sound, or Set.

Unit 2: Written - Approaches to text (2 plays - A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Shadow of a Gunman)

The texts are studied as starting points in the process of theatrical production. From these texts, students must develop their own justifiable responses to the challenges and possibilities that the plays offer.

We consider all technical elements in the process of production such as choice of staging, set design, costume, make-up, lighting and sound design.

As directors, we consider the themes and issues raised by the play, conducting appropriate historical research into the social, economical, theatrical conventions and concerns of the time of writing. They then make their own decisions as to their approach and how they would attempt to realise these in production.

As actors, we consider and engage with the characters in the play, determining from the given circumstances, the motives that drive the text and sub-text throughout the play. The practical approach is essential for the students to fully appreciate the demands of each part and to be able to write, from an informed position, on the actor's preparation, rehearsal and performance of that part.

Unit 3: Written - Theatre in Practice (Study of prescribed theatrical practitioner and of live theatre seen during the course). This year: Antonin Artaud.

Upper VI:A2

3 further units are studied:

Unit 4: Practical - Play in Production.  Working in groups of at least three, girls prepare and perform extracts from a play of their choice. In the accompanying written portfolio they research aspects of the play's style and/or theatrical context to broaden their knowledge and understanding.

Unit 5: Written - Text into performance (Study of a further two set plays)

Unit 6: Written - Theory into Practice (Section A: Study of a further theatrical practitioner, currently Brecht, applied to productions seen and; Section B: Interpretation of an extract or extracts from an unseen play for potential performance)