Curriculum Leader: Mr B Cawley - cawleyb@alkerdenacademy.co.uk

"Alkerden Drama: Exploring Stories, Building Skills, Shaping Voices."

At Alkerden Church of England All-through Academy, Drama is central to our mission of fostering inclusion, creativity, and hope. Rooted in our Christian vision, Drama provides a safe space for every pupil, of all faiths and none, to explore who they are, express their individuality, and work collaboratively with others. 
 
Through Drama, learners learn to tell stories, empathise with different perspectives, and communicate confidently. They develop not only their performance skills but also qualities such as kindness, resilience, creativity, and global awareness, values that are at the heart of our Academy ethos. 
 
Drama nurtures the whole child: intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. It builds cultural awareness, enhances literacy and oracy, and prepares learners to thrive in modern British society. 

The Drama curriculum at KS3 aims to ensure that all learners: 

• Gain confidence in spoken language, learning to communicate with clarity and purpose. 
• Work collaboratively, demonstrating kindness, respect, and responsibility in group work. 
• Explore a wide range of scripts and performance styles, from Shakespeare to contemporary theatre. 
• Create original devised performances that reflect personal, social, and cultural issues. 
• Analyse and evaluate performance using appropriate drama vocabulary. 
• Develop empathy, creativity, and resilience—qualities that will serve them in school and beyond. 

Drama lessons combine explicit teaching with practical exploration. Learners learn through modelling, guided practice, rehearsal, performance, and reflection. 
 
Drama is for everyone. Our inclusive practice ensures all learners, including those with SEND, can access and succeed in the subject. We use adaptive teaching, scaffolding, and flexible grouping so that every pupil can contribute meaningfully to performances. 

Pupil progress is assessed across three strands: 

• Creating – developing original ideas and responses. 
• Performing – applying vocal and physical skills in performance. 
• Responding – reflecting on and evaluating drama using subject-specific language. 

Assessment uses the Academy’s descriptors (Developing, Remembering, Knowing, Reasoning, Excelling). Feedback is ongoing, and each year learners celebrate their learning through a Drama Project Showcase shared with families and the wider school community. 
 
Beyond the classroom, learners benefit from enrichment opportunities, including school productions, drama clubs, theatre trips, and workshops with visiting practitioners. Drama also develops transferable skills such as confidence, resilience, collaboration, and critical thinking, preparing learners to thrive academically and personally. 
 
Through Drama, learners grow as confident, reflective, and creative individuals who value diversity and inclusion. They learn to use their voices to make a difference, living out the Academy’s Christian vision of hope, community, and empowerment. 

Drama at Alkerden reflects our Alkerden Heart - nurturing empathy, fostering collaboration, and encouraging self-expression through performance.

• One Dance UK

• Alvin Ailey: American Dance Theatre

• Rambert Dance Company