Drama is taught to every pupil at Arden. It is an important subject that helps to develop pupils’ understanding of the arts alongside the crucial development of life skills required in the workplace and beyond. We work closely with the music department and collaborate annually with our well respected school production.

Throughout their study of drama we will help pupils to progress through stages of artistic and creative development. These stages track pupils’ skills as a: participant, co-operator, experimenter, leader, critic, inspirer and expert.

On one hand our curriculum is designed to inspire our pupils and to educate them about theatre as an art form and drama as an explorative strategy; we study influential playwrights (Shakespeare, Wheeler, Godber, Berkoff, Brecht) and diverse theatrical form (Complicite, Frantic Assembly, Theatre Alibi, Headlong). We will teach oral literacy as well as the valuable skills of analysis and evaluation through peer and self-appraisal. Of equal importance to our academic focus is our investment in pupils’ ‘softer skills’; pupils in drama exercise their resilience with mistake making, endeavour in independent work and confidence in group work and performance.