Standard Grade Drama
Outline of Course
The Standard Grade Drama course is a two year course leading to presentation at General/Credit or General/Foundation level. Two thirds of the course is practical work and one third written. The course aims to develop personal and social skills through drama and theatre arts activities.
Methods of Learning
Pupils explore a wide variety of topics, themes and situations through:
a) CREATIVE DRAMA TECHNIQUES: characterisation, role-play, improvised drama, mime and movement, voice, directing, script work, presenting and evaluating.
b) THEATRE ARTS ACTIVITIES: lighting, sound, set, props, costume and make–up. Others areas that may be looked at are theatre management and stage management/theatre production.
An exciting feature of the course is that the department has successfully collaborated with local colleges and theatres as well as professional theatre companies to enrich the learning and teaching for pupils. Examples include Scottish Youth Theatre Masterclass, Borderline Theatre Company Workshop, Theatre Arts Training at Motherwell Theatre, Forward Role Theatre Company Forum Theatre workshop performance, Workshop/Performance activities with students from Coatbridge and Motherwell Colleges’ and the RSAMD, Sense Over Sectarianism Theatre performance at Hampden Park etc.
Form of Assessment
The course is assessed internally by continuous teacher assessment and externally by SQA verification and a final written examination.
Video and pupil folios will be used as evidence for assessment. The final grade is a combination of practical and written elements consisting of the following:
CREATING
PRESENTING
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Why Drama?
Although some of our students do go on to study both Drama and/or Theatre Studies courses at Drama School/University, it is not the main aim of the Drama Department or the subject to produce actors although those who wish to pursue a career in the Creative Industries will be supported and encouraged!
Standard Grade Drama develops the communication and presentation skills of young people in a world where there is greater need to acquire effective professional techniques than ever before.
In today's business environment there is a requirement to make a stronger personal impact. It is important to learn to manage the impression you give and to consciously determine appearance and behaviour.
Drama helps students maximise personal performance and achieve full personal potential. This is important and critical in many situations which we all face in our working lives beginning with the interview for the university place or the first job.
Communication skills are determining more and more how we are rated in today's challenging working environment. Drama contributes heavily to that.
Drama Qualifications
Students may gain Standard Grade in S4 and Intermediate 2 or Higher in S5, which will then offer the possibility of Advanced Higher in S6.
Drama is accepted by all universities as an entrance qualification with many now regarding the communication and presentation skills of the students as very attractive and desirable.
In fact some universities now put students in certain faculties (Law is a classic example of this!) through short Drama courses to help attain such techniques. They recognise that students who have studied Drama are used to working closely with others to tackle and solve a range of tasks.
It is difficult to imagine a job where the individual is not required to work and communicate with other people. Drama helps to develop the confidence to do this effectively.
Employers recognise that such individual qualities are often as important as paper qualifications.
Drama is, therefore, a highly subscribed and very popular subject at Our Lady’s.