Drama

Introduction

At KPHS, the Drama curriculum is designed to empower every student with confidence, creativity, communication skills, and a strong sense of belonging. We believe Drama plays a vital role in developing student voice, cultural awareness, resilience, and aspiration. Our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive, and carefully sequenced to ensure all students can access, participate in, and succeed in the performing arts regardless of starting point. 

Through Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, students explore a broad range of theatrical styles, practitioners, texts, and performance techniques while developing literacy, oracy, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Practical learning sits at the heart of our curriculum, allowing students to build confidence through performance, discussion, rehearsal, and reflection. Explicit vocabulary teaching, modelling, repetition, and structured support ensure all students can fully engage with both practical and written elements of the subject. 

At Key Stage 3, students develop foundational drama skills through engaging and accessible schemes of work such as Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and introductory devising projects. Students learn core performance techniques including BEGGLS and PPPTV while developing physical theatre, choreography, stage combat, ensemble work, and storytelling skills. Through practical exploration, they begin to understand how character, movement, voice, and staging communicate meaning to an audience. 

As students progress, they deepen their understanding of theatrical form and narrative through devising drama in response to stimuli, exploring structure, character motivation, dramatic intention, and non-linear storytelling techniques such as flashback and cross-cutting. Students also develop knowledge of technical theatre, including costume, lighting, sound, props, and set design, understanding how production elements contribute to audience experience and theatrical impact. 

At Key Stage 4, students study challenging and socially relevant texts including Frankenstein by Danny Boyle, Teechers by John Godber, and DNA by Dennis Kelly. Through these works, students explore themes including morality, identity, social inequality, peer pressure, and education while analysing the social, cultural, and historical contexts that shape theatre. Students are introduced to influential theatrical approaches, including Brechtian conventions and stylised performance, enabling them to critically evaluate performance choices and develop sophisticated practical work. 

The curriculum also prepares students for future pathways by introducing a wide range of careers within the creative industries. Students gain insight into roles such as Actor, Director, Choreographer, Lighting Designer, and Costume Designer while developing transferable skills including teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, empathy, and communication. 

Ultimately, our Drama curriculum aims to ensure students leave school as articulate, reflective, and culturally aware young people who understand the value of creativity, collaboration, and their own voice within both the arts and wider society. 

How Drama Supports Our School Values

We Co-operate
Our curriculum provides lesson-by-lesson activities which require working as part of a team or an ensemble. They work collaboratively to assign roles, make creative decisions, and to share responsibility for the success of group performances. We know that our students will leave KPHS with skills that enable them to collaborate and work with others for life. 

We Pioneer
At KPHS we encourage students to see themselves as creators in the theatrical world. We encourage them to challenge traditional conventions in creating original performances. Across the curriculum, students are consistently encouraged to take risks, reflect on their creative choices, and refine their work through experimentation. Teachers model professional practice, introduce diverse theatrical influences, and expose students to contemporary theatre through live performance opportunities such as trips to venues like The Lowry. 

We Belong
We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive and supportive environment in our Drama Studio so that every student feels valued, heard and seen. The curriculum deliberately prioritises oracy, practical work, and verbal reasoning to ensure that students who may struggle with written work can still achieve and express themselves fully. This helps reduce barriers to participation and ensures that students experience Drama as a subject where their voice matters. 

What our students say…

"I really like performing. I love how it shows you skills which you could use in the future, especially if you go to to a job within acting.”

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in Drama

Studying Drama develops creativity, communication, teamwork, leadership, and analytical skills. Students gain practical experience in performance and technical production while learning to collaborate effectively, problem-solve, and understand professional responsibilities—skills that are valuable across the performing arts and creative industries.

Career Areas Linked to Drama:

• Performance & Theatre Arts – applying acting, directing, and stagecraft skills in live performance, film, or digital productions.
• Production, Design & Technical Theatre – using technical knowledge in lighting, sound, costume, set, and choreography to bring performances to life.
• Education & Teaching – guiding learners in drama, theatre, and creative expression while developing communication and leadership skills.
• Media, Film & Television – applying storytelling, performance analysis, and creative collaboration to production, broadcasting, and digital content.
• Arts Management & Creative Industry Roles – using project management, teamwork, and organisational skills to coordinate productions, events, and arts programmes.

For more information about careers linked to Drama, visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/groups/cr0r5883rj8t