How will I be assessed? The course is split into three components, two of which are coursework (NEA). Two thirds of the A-level is completed by February of Year 13 and the course culminates in pupils sitting a paper in the summer of their second year. Component one is the paper, and pupils explore two set texts and critique one live production for this, which represents 40% of the overall grade. The remaining 60% is split between rehearsal and performance of original theatre devised by pupils themselves (component two) and the practical realisation of an extract from a play (component three). The former is assessed internally and externally moderated, the latter is assessed by a visiting examiner.
Your course will include mini-projects, where you will be exploring the aesthetics, nature and use of everyday materials such as woods, metals and polymers, including the application of 3D printing. Towards the end of the course you will also undertake a small scale design and make task of approximately 45 hours in duration that enables you to explore and respond to a given design brief.
Mr N Clark Head of Design and Technology
Drama and Theatre Studies
Miss R M F Stevens Head of Curriculum Drama
What is the subject about? …the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as ‘twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.’ – Hamlet, 3.2 Hamlet’s advice to the players captures the subject perfectly theatre and drama exist to reflect society back to itself and interrogate what it means to be human. We watch plays, musicals, TV shows and films to be transported and challenged; to find solace, wisdom and belonging. The power of live storytelling is thrown into relief when tyrannical regimes take their grip because theatres are among the first institutions to be shut down. Former director of the National Theatre, Richard Eyre described drama as ‘the highest aspiration of the human spirit’ and, at A-level, we certainly aspire to excavate and explore the complexity of the human condition through storytelling in all its wondrous forms, genres and styles. The AQA course encourages pupils to find their voice through originally made drama and the published drama of others. Pupils will produce two significant pieces of theatre in our high specification spaces and will be guided in their creative process by the practice of great performance artists of the past and present. As they will also learn to critique high-quality theatre, two A-level trips to experience what the West End has to offer are requirements of the course. Lastly, pupils will practically explore two dramatic masterpieces and share their vision as performer, director and designer in an essay-based end-of-course paper. Why might I choose to study drama at A-level? Success in all professions demands an ability to communicate fluently, confidently and engagingly but more specifically you might be considering a career in law, advertising, communications, marketing, sales, journalism or a public-facing industry. You may also, of course, be pursuing a career in the arts as a director, actor, designer, writer. As one of a portfolio of subjects A-level drama most commonly complements the study of English, history, languages and politics this is because we regularly wrestle with socio-political issues, explore contrasting cultures and examine societal ills through the prism of history. Above all, drama is most useful to those who wish to develop their ability to express themselves both on the page and in a public forum. Drama pupils learn to problem solve, collaborate, think independently, develop their visual imagination, cope with time-sensitive projects, and to critique and analyse great works of art. They also blossom into young artists of conviction and purpose who can talk to people!
Economics
What is the subject about? We face some tremendously difficult choices as a society. There are only so many resources available and we need to work out how best to use them. What should we make or provide? How should we make it? And who should benefit from it? There is enough evidence of our ability to get these decisions wrong (think of obesity and famine, of billionaires and absolute poverty) to justify studying how we might try and make better decisions. Does the market know best or should government get more involved? Economics aims to develop in pupils an understanding of concepts and theories through critical consideration of issues, problems and institutions that affect everyday life. In microeconomics, we study such topics as the determination of prices, the way firms compete and the reasons for individuals, organisations and societies having to make choices. In macroeconomics, inflation, unemployment, economic growth and international trade are examples of issues dealt with. The economics A-level now also includes sections on behavioural economics and the role of financial institutions. By the end of the course you will be able to understand current economic issues, problems and institutions that affect your life. You will develop an understanding of economic concepts and theories and the ability to apply these concepts to an appropriate range of issues. You will analyse, explain and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the market economy and the role of government within it. You will apply your understanding of economics to aspects of the recent performance of the UK and international economy. Ultimately, you will begin to think as economists, seeing the relationship between different aspects of the subject and applying the economists’ ‘tool kit’ in a meaningful way. Why might I choose to study economics at A-level? You should consider choosing economics if you have a real interest in current affairs and social and political issues. It is a disciplined, theoretical subject that makes use of both quantitative information, such as graphs and tables, and evaluative extended writing. Economics combines well with a range of science and arts subjects and strongly supports university applications for courses such as law, politics, history, management and, of course, economics. The economics course requires reasonable proficiency in mathematics. It is recommended that pupils wanting to study economics have at least a grade 7 at GCSE mathematics (or equivalent).
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