At the heart of our Drama Department is the belief that every student has a story to tell. We operate under, and fully align with, the core school ethos: “We are a community where everyone feels they belong and are the best they can be.” In Drama, this translates to a safe, inclusive environment where students are empowered to find their voice, take creative risks, and develop into empathetic thinkers and confident communicators.
Whilst the foundations of Drama lie with the development of key acting skills, Drama at Philip Morant is about more than just acting; it is a laboratory for essential life skills. Our students engage in a multi-disciplinary approach that explores not only the necessary skills to be a successful performer, but also the development of key life skills that shape individuals as they find their feet in the world. One of the most significant aspects of our approach is collaboration: enhancing team-working skills through ensemble pieces and peer-led directing. Another key aspect is personal expression: students develop unique voices through performance, public speaking, and formal debate. Students are provided the opportunity to engage in theatrical design, exploring the “magic” behind the curtain—including lighting, sound, and set design—ensuring they understand theatre as a holistic technical craft. Finally, we ensure that our curriculum is enhanced by academic rigour to stretch and challenge all students through critical analysis: rigorously deconstructing a range of plays and extracts to understand intent, subtext, and historical context.
Our curriculum is a meticulously sequenced journey through the history and practice of storytelling through performance. We aim to build a robust schema of theatrical knowledge and core performance skills, whilst ensuring that skills in reading, analysis, and critical thinking are layered and reinforced year-on-year. In KS3, students study the origins of theatre as we know it through topics such as Greek Theatre, Shakespeare’s Theatre, and modern adaptation. Alongside these foundational pillars, students are also exposed to a wide range of theatrical styles and cultures, such as Japanese theatre and Eastern puppetry. As students develop their theatrical skills, they foster an understanding of how theatre can be used for social reflection by giving a voice to those underrepresented within society. Students engage in challenging topics such as war, racism, and poverty to support and expand their empathetic nature and critical enquiry skills. Our curriculum is designed to further enhance the vision that “we are a community where everyone feels they belong,” as we strive to promote relatable stories that resonate with students’ own lives. We have also considered the school community and have crafted authentic and meaningful cross-curricular links with subjects such as English and History to promote cohesion and support understanding across the curriculum. When students progress into KS4 and KS5, they are able to use their knowledge of storytelling to craft their own impactful pieces of theatre.
We believe that the arts should be accessible to everyone therefore use extra-curricular engagement to promote a love of theatre is at the core of our department’s identity. We are committed to providing all students the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts. All students are encouraged to participate in live performance (on or off stage) within the annual whole-school musical or within smaller drama clubs. We explore a range of theatre trips and experiences every year, as well as utilising high-quality digital theatre to ensure that diverse styles and global productions are always accessible to all.
Our main aim is that as students leave the department—regardless of whether that is in KS3, KS4, or KS5—they are not just performers or designers; they are analytical, collaborative, and socially conscious individuals ready to take their place in the world.
