The Samworth Church Academy

GCSE Drama

Examination Board:  AQA

GCSE Drama engages and encourages students to become confident performers and designers with the skills they need for a bright and successful future.

The subject content details the knowledge, understanding and skills that students are expected to develop throughout the course of study.

The subject content for GCSE Drama is divided into three components:

  1. Understanding drama
  2. Devising drama
  3. Texts in practice

Guidance is also provided on the theatrical skills students will need to work on.

In the practical components students may specialise in performing, lighting, sound, set, costume and/or puppets.

Assessments

Component 1: Understanding drama

What's assessed

  • Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre
  • Study of one set play from a choice of six
  • Analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 1 hour and 45 minutes
  • Open book
  • 80 marks
  • 40% of GCSE

Questions

  • Section A: multiple choice (4 marks)
  • Section B: four questions on a given extract from the set play chosen (44 marks)
  • Section C: one question (from a choice) on the work of theatre makers in a single live theatre production (32 marks)

 

Component 2: Devising drama (practical)

What's assessed

  • Process of creating devised drama
  • Performance of devised drama (students may contribute as performer or designer)
  • Analysis and evaluation of own work

How it's assessed

  • Devising log (60 marks)
  • Devised performance (20 marks)
  • 80 marks in total
  • 40% of GCSE
This component is marked by teachers and moderated by AQA.

 

Component 3: Texts in practice (practical)

What's assessed

  • Performance of two extracts from one play (students may contribute as performer or designer)

Free choice of play but it must contrast with the set play chosen for Component 1

How it's assessed

  • Performance of Extract 1 (20 marks) and Extract 2 (20 marks)
  • 40 marks in total
  • 20% of GCSE
This component is marked by AQA.

 

Students learn to collaborate with others, think analytically and evaluate effectively. They gain the confidence to pursue their own ideas, reflect and refine their efforts. Whatever the future holds, students of GCSE Drama emerge with a toolkit of transferable skills, applicable both in further studies and in the workplace.

Students can choose to develop as a:

  • performer
  • designer (lighting, sound, set, costume, puppets)
  • performer and designer.

Whichever option they choose, students can be sure to gather many invaluable skills, both theatrical and transferable, to expand their horizons.

SNMATCovenantThrive