Performing Arts

Performing Arts

Our Vision

The Performing Arts permeate many aspects of everyday life, connecting people through shared cultural experiences such as theatre, television, music and digital media. They inspire discussion, foster relationships and enrich our understanding of the world around us.Through engagement in the Performing Arts, students develop creativity, reflection and resourcefulness. They gain the confidence to communicate effectively in front of others while also cultivating emotional intelligence and empathy.Arts and culture play a vital role in addressing social inequality. Institutions such as theatres, museums, galleries and libraries form the cultural foundation of our communities. They not only contribute to economic prosperity but also bring people together and enhance quality of life (Arts Council England).Across all LET schools, Performing Arts provides students with a safe and supportive environment in which to explore and express a wide range of emotions. It supports holistic development, broadens perspectives and encourages students to challenge conventions and step beyond their comfort zones. Simply put, the arts matter.

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”
— Oscar Wilde

Drama Curriculum

Our broad and balanced curriculum is structured around three core components: performance, devising and appreciation. It is carefully designed to recognise the importance of drama in young people’s lives, while inspiring, challenging and motivating students of all abilities.The curriculum aims to cultivate a lifelong appreciation of theatre by providing every learner with meaningful opportunities to explore and experience the performing arts.

Intended Outcomes

Through studying Drama, students will become:

• Confident individuals with a lifelong appreciation of Performing Arts
• Effective collaborators, demonstrating strong social skills alongside independence
• Creative thinkers, able to adapt, problem-solve and generate innovative ideas
• Resilient learners, capable of overcoming challenges both within and beyond the arts
• Reflective practitioners, who can analyse and evaluate their own and others’ work
• Metacognitive learners, demonstrating self-motivation and self-regulation
• Curious and engaged individuals, inspired by the world around them and the role of the arts within it

Studying Drama at Key Stage 3

At Cedars Academy, students in Years 7, 8 and 9 receive 50 minutes of Drama per week. The department is staffed by two specialist teachers, E. Carpenter and J. Wright.In Years 7 and 8, the curriculum is designed to build progressively on key skills over time. Students begin by developing fundamental performance techniques and an understanding of core drama conventions used in characterisation.Subject-specific terminology is embedded within all schemes of work, supported by knowledge organisers to promote vocabulary development and a knowledge-rich curriculum. Regular low-stakes quizzes are used to assess understanding and reinforce learning.The course balances both practical and theoretical elements, ensuring that students are well-prepared to progress into Key Stage 4 and beyond, should they choose to continue their study of Drama.

Key Stage 3	Year 7: 50 minutes every week.	Year 8: 50 minutes every week.	Year 9: 50 minutes every week
Term 1	Topic 1- Darkwood Manor	Topic 1-Blood Brothers	Topic 1: DNA
Term 2	Topic 2- Chicken	Topic 2-Physical Theatre/ Curious Incident of A Dog In The Nighttime	Topic 2: Devising
Term 3	Topic 3-Live Theatre & Bugsy Malone	Topic 3-Romeo & Juliet	Topic 3: Blood Brothers Design Aspects