as/a-level (subject) for first teaching in 2016

Drama and Theatre For first teaching in 2016 Su Fielder

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Autumn 2015

Slide 1 Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Structure of the session

Overview of the new AS and A-level specifications • Underlying principles and key features • Specification at a glance for each • Summary of content and assessment objectives A-level Paper: Component 1 • Core content • The question papers and question types A-level Coursework: Components 2 & 3 • Content and assessment • Administration AS assessment Support and resources

Slide 2 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Context

• In the context of educational reform, AQA, in common with all other Ofqual- regulated exam boards, have had to re-design the specifications in Drama and Theatre to meet new mandatory criteria

• Our new courses have been developed by an experienced team of teachers and examiners

• The courses are designed to engage young people in this subject and provide effective assessments across the ability range

• We are currently awaiting feedback on our draft specifications from Ofqual (the qualifications regulator).

• We’ll let you know as soon as our specifications been accredited

• The new AS/A-level specifications are for teaching from September 2016 with

first assessment at A-level in summer 2018 and AS in summer 2017.

Slide 3 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Changes to the assessment of Drama and Theatre


• The de-coupling of AS and A-level (currently A2) specifications

• The linear nature of each course

• The weighting of formal examination and Non Exam Assessment (NEA)

• New regulations concerning the submission of teacher marks for moderation

• The requirement that at least 20% of the NEA assessment is examined

externally

• The requirement that all marks awarded for NEA are capable of being re-marked or re-moderated in the event of an enquiry upon results

Slide 4

Changes to the Content of Drama and Theatre


• The new subject content requires that, at AS, students study one substantial full length play in addition to a key extract from a further two plays, to be studied in the context of the whole text

• At A-level, the requirement is that students study two substantial full length plays in addition to a key extract from a further three plays, to be studied in the context of the whole text

• The new subject content requires AS students to study the work and methodologies of one theatre practitioner and at A-level of two different theatre practitioners

Slide 5

Underlying principles – choice and variety

• Practical performance and design work have been accorded the maximum weightings allowed by Ofqual

• The AS and A-level courses have been designed to support teachers,

facilitating co-teachability in the AS year

• We have maximised students’ choices of theatre specialism

• We have consciously removed artificial restraints on students’ creative freedom within their practical work

• We have a really wide choice of 13 set texts to engage your students

• We have prescribed 62 different practitioners for students to choose from


A-level: Specification at a glance


Component 1: Drama and theatre

Written Paper

40%

3 hours; 3 Sections

Section A: set text 1

Section B: set text 2

(Sections A & B are open book)

Section C: live production

Component 2: Creating original drama

Practical Coursework Teacher marked; AQA moderated

30%

Devised performance – 20 marks

Working notebook – 40 marks

Devised piece influenced by one prescribed practitioner

Component 3: Making theatre Practical Coursework Marked by AQA

30%

Practical exploration of three key extracts from contrasting plays; one performed in the style of a second prescribed practitioner – 40 marks

Reflective report – 20 marks

AS: Specification at a glance


Component 1: Interpreting drama Written Paper

40%

1 hour, 45 minutes Section A: set play, one two-part question from a choice Open book Section B: live theatre production – one question from a choice of four

Component 2: Process and Performance Practical Coursework Teacher marked; AQA moderated

60% Practical exploration of two key extracts from contrasting plays; one performed in the style of a prescribed practitioner – 30 marks Portfolio – 30 marks

Why choose the AS and A-level specifications?

• We have designed two very straightforward courses that are co-teachable in the AS year

• There is plenty of choice throughout both specifications and teachers can tailor courses to match the tastes and abilities of their students

• In the practical components, students are free to explore their own themes and interests with maximum opportunity for creativity

• We have been producing successful written papers and tasks for many years and have a reputation for good quality assessments

• AQA also has a reputation for supporting teachers both through high quality

resources and their coursework advisor system


Key features and benefits 1

Our AS and A-level courses: • Offer relevant and interesting content for study including a wide range

of set texts and a stimulating list of 62 possible practitioners to explore

• Focus on Drama and Theatre as a practical subject

• Give centres free choice of stimuli/extracts for Components 2 & 3

• Give students the opportunity to explore as many as six different specialisms across the AS and A-level courses if they so wish; or develop their skills in one

• Provide sound progression from the newly designed GCSE course


Key features and benefits 2

• Enables progression to further study in Drama and Theatre – the courses have been endorsed by HE colleagues as offering an excellent foundation for higher education courses in Drama

• Could be delivered alongside other Arts courses but also complements subjects such as Law as well as Humanities courses

• Will count toward school/college performance tables

• Offers students transferable ‘life skills’, building confidence and

character


A-level: Component 1, Drama and Theatre


A-level: Content and skills for Component 1

Drama and Theatre

• Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre; interpretative skills

and analytical skills

• Study of two set plays chosen from separate lists of seven play texts in Section A and six play texts in Section B

• Analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers


A-level: Assessment objectives for Paper/Unit 1


Assessment Objectives

• AO3: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed • AO4: Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others

A-level: Structure of Question Paper 1

• 3 hours and 3 Sections

• 40% of total marks

• Section A – set text 1: Drama through the Ages, students answer one question from a choice of two – all perspectives ( director, actor, designer) are included across the two options

• Section B – set text 2: 20th and 21st century drama, students answer one compulsory question from a director’s perspective and one further question chosen from a choice of two (actor perspective or designer perspective) both questions based on a printed extract from the chosen set text

• Section C – Live theatre production: students answer one question from a

choice of four questions analysing the effectiveness of one live production seen


Section A Set Texts: Drama through the Ages


Playwright List A set play Sophocles Antigone Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing Carlo Goldoni The Servant of Two Masters Henrik Ibsen Hedda Gabler Bertolt Brecht The Caucasian Chalk Circle Dario Fo Accidental Death of an Anarchist Jez Butterworth Jerusalem

Slide 16

Section A Set Texts: 20th and 21st Century Drama


Playwright List B set play Lorca Yerma Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie Berkoff Metamorphosis Caryl Churchill Cloud Nine Wertenbaker Our Country’s Good Polly Teale Brontë

Slide 17

Specimen Paper: Component 1, Section A


Let’s have a look at the specimen paper: Antigone Either As a director or designer, discuss the production methods you would employ in order to create tension in at least two separate sections of the play. [25 Marks] Or As a performer, discuss how you would perform the role of Ismene in two sections of the play in order to convey your interpretation of the character to the audience. [25 Marks]

Slide 18

Specimen Paper: Component 1, Section B


Wertenbaker Our Country’s Good Answer question 18.1

18.1

Explain and justify how you would direct the performers from line 33 to line 83 in order to highlight each of the characters’ feelings.

[15 marks] Now answer either question 18. 2 or 18. 3: Either 18.2 As a performer, explain and justify how you would perform the role of Liz in her monologue in order to reveal your interpretation of the character.

[10marks] Or 18.3

As a designer, outline your ideas for lighting and/or sound for this extract. Explain and justify how these would help to create an appropriate mood and atmosphere at this point in the play. [10 marks]

Slide 19

Specimen Paper: Component 1, Section C


Live theatre production One question from a choice of four: Analyse the effects created by the performers’ use of physical skills at particular moments. Evaluate the contribution of the performers’ physical work to the total dramatic effectiveness of the production. [30 marks]

Slide 20


Questions on Paper/Unit 1


A-level: Coursework, Component 2 - Creating Original Drama

A-level: Assessment objectives for Paper/Unit 2


Assessment Objectives • AO1: Create and develop ideas to communicate meaning as part of the theatre making process, making connections between dramatic theory and practice. • AO2: Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance.

A-level: Structure of Component 2


• Two assessment tasks:

o produce an individual Working notebook [40 marks] o contribute to a final devised, group performance [20 marks]

• There are no restrictions on the choice of subject matter; the starting point for

the piece is chosen by the students • The work must be devised using the ideas and methodologies of one of the

62 prescribed practitioners


A-level: Group Sizes

Group size – between two and six Acting candidates plus up to one of each of the following: • Lighting designer

• Sound designer

• Set designer

• Puppet designer

• Costume designer

• Director


A-level: Timings

Performance Timings: Two performers – between 5 and 10 minutes Three- six performers – between 6 and 30 minutes (adjust to size of group) [Teachers must ensure that the minimum timings are met, as students who fail to reach the minimum will be awarded zero]


A-level: Specialisms - requirements


Performer – must develop or perform one character* Lighting designer – must design and realise one lighting design Sound designer– must design and realise one sound design Set designer– must design and realise one setting Costume designer – must design and realise one costume Puppet designer– must design and realise one puppet Director – must direct the devised piece/key extract * Or more than one if appropriate to the subject matter and performance style of the piece

A-level: The Working notebook


There are two parts to the Working notebook:

Rationale and research

Development and refinement This Notebook may be presented in one of 4 optional formats:

• An entirely written document of approximately 2,400 words (maximum 3,000)

• A mainly written document, accompanied by annotated sketches, photographs, cue sheets of between 8-14 A4 pages (maximum 20 pages)

• Written, accompanied by audio/visual/audio-visual recording(s) with the written element of between 800 – 1200 words plus 8- 12 minutes’ worth of recorded material (with maximum of 2,000 words and 15 minutes of recording(s)

• Entirely recorded and lasting between 12 – 16 minutes with a maximum of 20 minutes

A-level: The Working notebook


The two parts of the Working notebook:

Rationale and research • The rationale for their starting point

• An explanation of their dramatic influences, including the influences they have drawn from their research, their chosen practitioner and live theatre productions they have experienced

• An explanation of their individual dramatic intentions, identifying the connections they have made between theory and practice

• An explanation of the dramatic intentions of the piece, identifying the connections they have made between theory and practice

A-level: The Working notebook - 2


Development and refinement • An account of the approach they have taken in devising the piece

• An account of their collaborative and independent decision-making in relation to their evolving ideas, detailing experimentation, development and refinement

• An account of the decisions made relating to their theatrical specialism, the development of their skills and refinement in the context of devising

• An account of their final ideas for the devised performance identifying how these ideas connect theory and practice

• A comparison of the outcome of the final piece with the initial aims and intentions, identifying key areas of change and how the devising process has shaped these changes


Questions on Paper/Unit 2

A-level: Coursework, Component 3 - Making Theatre


A-level: Assessment Objectives


How will coursework be assessed? • AO2: Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance • AO4: Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others.

Structure of Component 3



• Students must practically explore (workshop) and interpret three key extracts, each from a different play and complete two assessment tasks:

o formally present Extract 3 to an audience [40 marks] o produce an individual Reflective report, analysing and evaluating their theatrical interpretation of all three key extracts studied [20 marks]

• Key Extract 3 must be interpreted and rehearsed using the ideas and

methodologies of a different prescribed practitioner from the one applied in Component 2

Slide 34

Group Sizes


Group size – between one and six Acting candidates plus up to one of each of the following: • Lighting designer • Sound designer • Set designer • Puppet designer • Costume designer • Director

Slide 35

Timings


Performance Timings: Monologue (one performer) – between 2 and 5 minutes Duologue (two performers) – between 5 and 10 minutes Group performance (between three and six performers) – between 6 and 30 minutes (adjust to size of group) [Teachers must ensure that the minimum timings are met, as students who fail to reach the minimum will be awarded zero]

Slide 36

What is a ‘key extract’?


• An extract which is significant to the play as a whole i.e. pivotal to plot, character(s) or theme(s)

• Must be ‘continuous’ and individually last at least ten minutes in duration, if the full extract were to be performed

• May be abridged by students in order to provide a coherent performance within the minimum performance times stated, but the wording must not be modified

• Students are not required to perform the full key extract for assessment but all three extracts must be explored practically in their entirety during the course

• Each extract must be taken from a different play and studied in the context of the whole play

Slide 37

Application of Practitioner’s ideas in Component 3


While teachers may choose to introduce their students to a range of practitioners during the course, in Component 3: • Only Extract 3 (assessed by the visiting examiner) must have a

practitioner applied

• Extract 1 and Extract 2 may have: o No practitioner applied o The same practitioner applied o A different practitioner applied

Slide 38

The Reflective Report


The reflective report is an entirely written document of between 2,000 and 2,500 words (evidence beyond 3000 words will attract no credit) Students must discuss: • The opportunities and challenges presented by each key extract

• Their theatrical interpretation for each key extract, including how this was informed by: o The genre and style of the play o The social, cultural and historical contexts of the play o The work and methodology of their selected prescribed practitioner,

where appropriate

• How successful their theatrical interpretation of each key extract was in fulfilling their aims and communicating intended meaning, during their workshop programme and/or final performance

Slide 39

Programme notes for Practical Components


For both Components 2 and 3 Teachers must provide programme notes for the moderator/examiner stating the names of the piece/extract and the name of the practitioner selected. The programme notes must include photographs of each student in order that each student is clearly identifiable to the examiner. The programme notes must also state each student’s chosen specialism, chosen plays and, in Component 2, if they are performing, the character(s) they play. In addition, each student must offer a statement of their individual dramatic intentions to justify their theatrical choices (the statement is not assessed but is used to support assessment) Designers must also append, as appropriate to their skill, lighting plot, sound cue sheet, sketch of set design, costume, puppet

Slide 40

Recorded evidence for Components 2 & 3


• Assessed performances must be recorded with a single camera from an audience perspective from start to finish and be unedited

• Each student being assessed must identify themselves by name and candidate number at the start of the recording.

• Students must also state their chosen skill and chosen plays and, if they are performing, the role(s) they are playing.

• Close-ups of set, costume and puppet design students’ work must be included at the beginning of the recording.

Slide 41


Questions on Coursework

AS: Component 1


AS: Content and skills for Component 1


Drama and Theatre

• Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre; interpretative skills and analytical skills

• Study of one set plays chosen from seven plays, representing ‘Drama through the ages’

• Analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers

AS: Assessment objectives for Component 1


Assessment Objectives • AO3: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed • AO4: Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others

AS: Structure of Question Paper 1

• 1 hour 45 minutes

• 40% of total marks Two Sections: • Section A – set text 1: Drama through the Ages, students answer one two-

part question from a choice of two; each part of the two-part question is worth 25 marks

• Section C – Live theatre production: students answer one question from a

choice of four questions; analysing the effectiveness of one live production seen. It is worth 30 marks


AS: Set texts


Playwright List A set play Sophocles Antigone Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing Carlo Goldoni The Servant of Two Masters Henrik Ibsen Hedda Gabler Bertolt Brecht The Caucasian Chalk Circle Dario Fo Accidental Death of an Anarchist Jez Butterworth Jerusalem

AS Specimen Question – Section A


Much Ado about Nothing Question 3 You are performing the role of Beatrice in Act One, Scene One. 03.1 Explain how you would demonstrate Beatrice’s attitude towards Benedick before he enters the scene. [25 marks] 03.2 Explain how you would perform Beatrice’s interaction with Benedick in order to create comedy. [25 marks]

Slide 2 Slide 48

AS Specimen Question – Section B


Live Theatre Production Question 17 17 Analyse how one or more performer(s) used their performance skills to alter the mood or atmosphere at particular moments and evaluate their success in doing this. [30 marks]

Slide 49

AS: Coursework Component 2


AS: Assessment objectives for Component 2


Assessment Objectives • AO1: Create and develop ideas to communicate meaning as part of

the theatre making process, making connections between dramatic theory and practice.

• AO2: Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance.

• AO4: Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others.

AS: Component 2, Process and Performance

STRUCTURE • 60% of total marks

• Students must practically explore (workshop) and interpret two key

extracts, each from a different play and complete two assessment tasks:

o formally present Extract 2 to an audience [30 marks] o produce an individual portfolio, documenting work on both Extract 1 and 2 [30 marks]

• Key Extract 2 must be interpreted and rehearsed using the ideas and

methodologies of one of the prescribed practitioners


AS: Group Size and Timings at AS

While specialisms, requirements and practitioners are the same at AS and A-level, there are slight differences in stipulated group sizes and required timings: Group size must be between 2 and 6 candidates Duologues must be between four and ten minutes Groups of between 3 and 6 candidates must be between five and thirty minutes


AS: Individual Portfolio


Portfolio

Each student is required to submit a portfolio: • documenting and evaluating their creative and interpretive processes in relation to both of the extracts and • providing a personal evaluation of the effectiveness of the outcome of the final performances The Portfolio comprises three sections, each marked out of 10: Section 1: Research Section 2: Performance development Section 3: Analysis and evaluation

Co-teaching opportunities

• Set Texts at AS and for Section A of A-level are the same

• Both levels require students to write about live productions

• AS students may choose extracts from A-level Section B texts for their AS practical component, Process and Performance

• A-level students may apply the ideas and methodologies of the practitioner that they studied at AS to either the devised or the scripted practical component

• Students may choose the same specialisms at A-level as they developed in their AS year



Questions on AS-Level

AQA ongoing support and resources


Resources and support from AQA

360° SUPPORT

Choosing the right qualification • Draft specification • Draft question papers and mark schemes • Specification at a glance • Summary of changes • Documents to help you compare exam boards’

specifications

Results: reviewing and planning for improvement • Enhanced Results Analysis • Teacher support feedback

meetings • Examiner reports • Candidate exemplars with

examiner commentary

Planning your course • Teacher support launch

events • Teacher support preparing

to teach events • Schemes of work • Guidance on teaching AS

and A-level

Teaching your students

• Resources linked to topics in the specification and throughout the teaching year (plan, teach, assess, results)

• Command words used in exams • Publisher textbooks and digital resources • Direct access to subject teams

Assess: preparing for exams • Specimen question papers and

mark schemes • Additional sample questions • Candidate exemplars with

examiner commentary


AQA ongoing support and resources

• AQA website

• e-AQA

• Secure Key Materials

• ERA (Enhanced Results Analysis)

• Training courses

• Preparing to teach events


E-AQA


Timeline for change


AS and A-level Drama and Theatre

Free-of-charge launch meetings being held September–October 2015 nationwide

Teacher and learner resources published from Autumn 2015

Free preparing to teach meetings in early 2016

First teaching from September 2016

First A-level exam Summer 2018

First AS exam Summer 2017

Contact points for more information and guidance

• Customer Support Managers [email protected] 01483 556301

• Teacher Support and CPD Managers [email protected] 0161 957 3546

• AQA Website



Final questions

Summary

• There are no radical changes to the core principles underpinning AQA’s Drama and Theatre course

• We have been determined to offer as much choice as possible throughout

the specifications

• We have kept ‘red tape’ and administrative checks to a minimum

• We are committed to providing high quality resources to support your teaching

• All schools have a coursework adviser to consult for advice over the practical components

• We aim to offer simplicity not complexity; support rather than prescription


Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Slide 65

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