Acting
Intent
Our acting curriculum aims to develop confident, versatile, and expressive performers with the technical skills, creative understanding, and professional awareness needed for success in the performing arts industry and beyond. We seek to inspire a passion for theatre, TV, and film while equipping students with the tools to communicate, collaborate, and express themselves effectively.
The curriculum is broad and inclusive, exposing students to a wide range of acting styles, techniques, and traditions. We nurture both artistic creativity and personal growth, encouraging resilience, self-discipline, empathy, and cultural awareness. By studying practitioners, classical and contemporary texts, and industry-specific performance techniques, students gain a strong foundation for further education, professional auditions, and diverse career pathways.
Implementation
The curriculum is delivered through a structured progression from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4, building technical, creative, and professional skills over time.
- Key Stage 3 focuses on exploration and foundational skills: devised theatre, improvisation, physical theatre, storytelling, characterisation, and script work. Students develop stage presence through warm-ups, voice work, and movement exercises, alongside studies in animal work and simple monologue/duologue performance. Theatre understanding is embedded through exposure to different styles and genres.
- Key Stage 4 advances into professional-level techniques: classical and contemporary text work, the Meisner Technique, audition preparation (stage and TV), acting for camera, sight reading, voice-over work, and practitioner study. Students refine their craft through rehearsal and performance opportunities, applying feedback to enhance their work.
Lessons are sequenced to revisit and deepen core skills, incorporating practical workshops, peer and self-assessment, and performance opportunities. The curriculum integrates theory and practice, ensuring students can articulate artistic choices and understand industry expectations.
Impact
By the end of the programme, students will:
- Demonstrate strong acting skills across multiple genres and mediums, from stage to screen.
- Apply practitioner methods and performance theory to create believable and engaging characters.
- Confidently perform monologues, duologues, and ensemble pieces, showing control of voice, movement, and emotional expression.
- Exhibit professional rehearsal discipline, adaptability, and resilience in audition and performance contexts.
- Understand the cultural, historical, and social contexts of the work they create and perform.
- Possess transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, creativity, and problem-solving that prepare them for life beyond school.
Student success will be evident through high-quality performances, participation in productions, and readiness for further performing arts study or industry engagement.