Builth Wells High School - English Literature

Drama and Theatre Studies AS / A level

Course outline

Year 12	Year 13
Autumn Term AS Unit 1: Exploration of Drama and Theatre Constantin Stanislavski and Given Circumstances Greek Theatre The Love of the Nightingale – Timberlake Wertenbaker	A2 Unit 3: Exploration of Dramatic Performance Creation of a unique piece of theatre Completion of Coursework for Unit 3
Spring Term Berthold Brecht and Political Theatre The Good Person of Szechwan – Berthold Brecht Completion of Coursework for Unit 1 AS Unit 2 Section A: Rehearsal and Performance of Monologues	Spring Term A2 Unit 4: Theatre Text in Context Shakespeare’s Original Performance Conditions Study of a Shakespeare play Study of Woyzeck – Georg Buchner
Summer Term AS Unit 2 Section B: Rehearsal and Performance of Play Script	Summer Term Revision of topics covered in Unit 3 and exam preparation

Homework - frequency

Year 12	Year 13
Homework is set when it is appropriate and beneficial to do so.	Homework is set when it is appropriate and beneficial to do so.

Homework and the likely forms that it will take

Year 12

Year 13

Reading of set text book and note making

Drafting and re-drafting of coursework assignments

Research and background or wider reading

Completion of past paper questions

Revision of exam texts and likely questions

Reading of relevant texts provided and note making

Drafting and re-drafting of coursework assignments

Research and background or wider reading

Completion of past paper questions

Revision of exam texts and likely questions

Student grouping

Year 12	Year 13
One set of mixed ability pupils.	One set of mixed ability pupils.

Assessment pattern

Year 12	Year 13
During the course, students complete a three pieces of assessed coursework. The pieces are graded. Students will also sit an external end of year exam.	Students complete 2 externally set pieces of coursework during the year. These pieces are assessed by the class teacher before being externally moderated.

Marking and grading of work

Year 12

Year 13

The coursework is marked by the teacher in line with AQA marking guidelines. Each piece is marked out of 100.

80-100 A
70-79 B
60-69 C
50-59 D
40-49 E
0-39 U

Exam responses are marked according to the mark scheme for that particular paper.

The coursework is marked by the teacher in line with AQA marking guidelines. Each piece is marked out of 100.

80-100 A
70-79 B
60-69 C
50-59 D
40-49 E
0-39 U

Exam responses are marked according to the mark scheme for that particular paper.

Educational Visits

Where possible, students are offered educational visits to various exhibitions or places of interest. Visits to Bristol have recently been arranged to look at the constructed environment and also visit interesting museum exhibits such as the recent visit to the Banksy art exhibition in Bristol.

Coursework requirements

There are three pieces of coursework required at AS level and two pieces completed at A2.

AS Coursework
A 500 word investigation on the one of the following topics:
• Clothes make the person: To what extent are we what we wear?
• Speak that I might see you: the relationship between personal language use and personal identity.
• Good Taste/ Bad Taste: In what ways are we defined by what we like?

A 1000 word investigation on one of the following cultural areas;
• In my room: personal places and their wider cultural significance.
• ‘Don’t forget the songs that saved your life’, popular music as cultural communication.
• Retail therapy? Explore the cultural meanings of shopping.

An audio/visual presentation that considers two of the following key areas:
• Identity
• Representation
• Power
• Value

A2 Coursework
A case study of 2000 words and a digitized multi-media presentation.

These pieces will be based on one of the following topics:
• Body Modification
• Cinema-Going
• Celebrity

Year 12	Year 13
Throughout the course the pupils will be asked to undertake independent study. They should aim to read their set text book and any additional readings provided to them by the class teacher.	Throughout the course the pupils will be asked to undertake independent study. They should aim to read their set text book and any additional readings provided to them by the class teacher.