Drama
Drama Curriculum Overview
Subject: Drama
Key Stage(s): KS3/KS4 BTEC Tech Award Performing Arts Acting
Head of Department: Lydia Day
Date last reviewed: January 2026
1. Curriculum Intent
The Drama curriculum at Pool Academy develops imaginative, confident, and reflective students, using theatre to explore real-world experiences and human stories. Students gain knowledge of drama styles, genres, practitioners, and techniques, alongside practical performance skills, creative thinking, teamwork, and subject-specific vocabulary. Engaging with diverse texts and themes helps students build empathy, cultural awareness, and a strong sense of self, while learning to give and respond to constructive feedback.
Drama also provides a safe space for self-expression and supports emotional wellbeing. Our ambitious and inclusive curriculum encourages students to take creative risks, develop discipline and resilience, and build transferable skills that support success in drama, other subjects, and future pathways. High expectations ensure every student is supported to achieve their full potential.
By the end of Drama at Pool Academy, students will be able to:
- Create, perform and respond to drama using a wide range of techniques, styles and conventions
- Analyse drama and real-world scenarios, offering thoughtful and constructive feedback to peers
- Use a secure, subject-specific vocabulary to articulate creative intentions, performance choices and analytical responses
Lessons follow our 12 Teaching Fundamentals, ensuring purposeful practice and effective support for all learners
2. Curriculum Implementation
The curriculum is carefully sequenced so skills are revisited and built on year by year, helping students grow in confidence, independence, and performance skill.
In Year 7, students are introduced to the essential underpinning skills of Drama, including voice and physicality. There is a strong focus on oracy, encouraging pupils to make their voice heard, work as a team, and understand how performance choices impact an audience. Confidence building and camaraderie are key, allowing students to express individuality in a supportive environment.
The Year 8 curriculum focuses on harnessing play through exploratory drama devices. Students apply these to their own creative responses, with a clear focus on communicating ambitiously with an audience. Reading and language are developed through script work, encouraging empathy and more mature, three-dimensional character portrayal.
In Year 9, students explore styles and genres, with a shift towards greater independence. They are given extended opportunities to devise original work and perform text, applying the drama devices and technical skills developed throughout Key Stage 3 in preparation for BTEC Drama.
At KS4, learners studying the BTEC Level 1/2 Tech Award will explore how theatre is created from page to stage, the performing arts industry including roles and responsibilities, and refine their skills through research, rehearsal and feedback. Students study a range of styles and genres, rehearse and perform extended pieces, and develop clear, reflective and analytical writing in response to professional theatre.
3. Curriculum Impact
Students’ learning and progress are evident through their growing confidence, performance skills, and ability to analyse and reflect on professional theatre. Successful learners collaborate effectively, apply rehearsal techniques, perform with intention, and make purposeful improvements over time. Progress is measured through practical assessments, written evaluations, and skills tracking, with assessment outcomes used to adapt teaching and refine the curriculum to meet individual needs. As a result, students develop strong creative, communication, and teamwork skills, gain industry awareness, and are well-prepared for further study or careers in the performing arts and related fields.
4. Enrichment and Wider Opportunities
Drama extends beyond the classroom through extra curricular weekly clubs, enrichment opportunities like being part of the school Christmas platform, fashion show and school production. Students explore the industry through taking part in showcases at the Hall for Cornwall and Minack Theatre. There are opportunities to take part in workshops with industry professionals linking drama to careers in the creative industries and further education. These experiences develop transferable skills including confidence, communication, teamwork, resilience, and leadership, supporting students’ personal development and future success and give a view into potential job roles available in the future.
5. Quality Assurance and Review
The curriculum is regularly reviewed to ensure it meets students’ needs and reflects current industry practice. Subject leaders evaluate its effectiveness using student outcomes, feedback, and student voice to identify areas for improvement. Staff engage in professional development to update their skills and teaching approaches, ensuring the curriculum remains relevant, challenging, and supportive of student progress. KS4 marking is moderated by the awarding body and feedback is acted upon to improve accuracy in marking and teaching if given.
This overview reflects Pool Academy’s commitment to a coherent, ambitious and inclusive curriculum aligned with the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework.
