Welcome to Lathallan School

Drama has always played an integral part of the school curriculum at Lathallan and as the senior school develops pupils will also have the opportunity to take part in theatrical production and performance. Pupils whose interests lie in this area also have the opportunity to take additional lessons with a visiting specialist teacher leading to the examinations offered by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. S3 pupils may also opt to take Drama as an examinable subject. The course covers three main areas:

1. Drama Skills

A negotiated topic which involves both movement and language activities. Different Drama forms will be experimented with so as to devise a live presentation or video. Each pupil will direct others in a short piece of drama.

2. Theatre Production Skills

This will involve textual analysis and two other topics taken from: set design, lighting, sound, costume, props, make-up, acting, stage management and directing.

3. Production

Pupils will be responsible for staging a small-scale production based on an extract from a full length play or one-act play. This unit is subject to external examination.

 

Level: Standard Grade

Aim: “…to provide opportunities for pupils to explore ideas through language, movement and theatre, to work positively with others, to develop practical skills and increase understanding and critical awareness of drama.”

 

Course content:

CREATING

1. Contributing ideas
2. Developing ideas of others
3. Adopting and sustaining roles using speech ad movement
4. Using space and resources imaginatively

PRESENTING

1. Contributing to planning
2. Portraying a range of characters, showing full audience awareness
3. Using Theatre Arts materials and equipment
4. Evaluating Drama

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

1. Describing a drama account of the action, decisions and process
2. Describing a character role and status
3. Describing how a dram can be developed for an audience

 

Assessment:

The course is assessed internally by continuous teacher assessment and externally by moderation and final written examination.

Video, audio recordings and pupil folios will be used as evidence of assessment.

Students  also need to keep up to date accounts of their drama activities and record critical appraisals of self and others.

 

Level: Higher

Aims  -  “the course seeks to investigate relationships, issues and topics

gain knowledge and understanding of aspects of theatre

develop acting and directing skills and contribute to a presentation

experience theatre performance”

Course content and skills: The course is divided into three units and will be studied for the duration of the academic year.

The courses focuses on the skills of acting, directing and investigating in  a variety of dramatic contexts.

Unit 1 Investigative Drama

Using creative drama skills to investigate and explore a theme, topic or issue.

This will involve:       devising drama

taking individual directorial responsibility for a section

presenting the end product to an audience

Unit  2 Study of text in its Theatrical context

Candidates will investigate a text in its historical, social and theatrical  context

in order to explore how it could be communicated through performance from

the perspective of both director and actor.

Unit 3 Contemporary Scottish Theatre

Plays/productions will be explored from both the perspective of actor and

audience in terms of communicating meaning and perceived impact.

 

Assessment:

To gain the award the candidate must achieve all the component units of the course as well as the external assessment.

 

External assessments  will comprise of one question paper and a practical examination of acting.

Question paper will be divided into three components  - 20 marks for each total is 60 marks

Acting Role 1 & 2 - 20 marks for each total is 40 marks

 

 

"Their dedication to performing well is exemplary."  HMIe

 

Our senior school has always had a strong focus on music, both as part of the curriculum and as an extra-curricular activity and as our senior school grows, our pupils will be encouraged to continue to develop their musical talents. We have visiting specialist teachers for Voice, Violin and Viola, Drum Kit, Piano, Flute and Guitar.

Our pipe band has an expanding senior school section, which we hope we grow into a separate senior band in line with the growth of the school.  Two Pipe Majors and a specialist Marching Band Drum Tutor visit the school each week to give individual lessons and co-ordinate band practice. Students in S3 may opt to study Music at Intermediate 2 Level following either a Music with performance course or Music with Technology.

Level: Intermediate 2

 

Aim: ‘..to enable students of varying ability to access music as a subject option, tailoring the course to each individual, subject to them meeting the minimum requirements to succeed in this subject.’

Course Content and Skills:

There are two routes to Course Assessment:  Music with Performing and Music with Technology. Each of these routes has two components, with mark allocations as shown below.  The Question Paper is common to both routes, the time allocation being 45 minutes, and all questions are compulsory.  It requires candidates ‘..to demonstrate breadth of knowledge and understanding by responding to questions relating to audio excerpts in a range of styles.’

 

Level: Higher

Aims: “Candidates will experience music as performers, composers and listeners. The course is designed to serve the needs of those who wish to study music as part of their general education, wish to pursue a leisure interest in music or intend to follow a career in music.”

Course Content and Skills: The course consists of two mandatory units, Composing and Listening and one optional unit of Performing or Performing with Technology.

Unit Requirements:

• Composing – In this unit candidates will explore and build competence in handling a wide range of compositional techniques, which they will use to build a folio of original work
• Listening – In this unit candidates will listen to a variety of music, and develop awareness of an increasing range of musical and stylistic concepts. In addition to general listening, there will be detailed study of a number of prescribed musical works, in order to focus listening on complete movements or works.
• Performing – In this unit candidates will develop performance skills, solo and/or group, on 2 instruments, or 1 instrument and voice, or 1 instrument/voice and accompanying.(Standard of performance should be equivalent to ABRSM Grade 4 and above)
• Performing with Technology – In this unit candidates will develop performance skills, solo and/or group on 1 instrument. (Standard of performance should be equivalent to ABRSM Grade 4 and above). Candidates will also develop knowledge, understanding and practical application of MIDI sequencing or Sound Engineering as instruments of music technology, in order to produce a folio of recordings

Assessment:

Course assessment is based on 2 components

1. Listening Question Paper – near the end of the course, which will sample knowledge and understanding of aspects of performance, composition and literacy, in both the prescribed works, and previously unheard musical excerpts.
2. Practical Performance (Performing) or Production Folio (Performing with Technology)

 

In addition, all candidates must pass the Composing unit. This requires submission of an audio folio of 2 original pieces, lasting 1 minute each, supported by programme notes, scores/performance plans, and assessor observation of the compositional process.

 

 

 

In S2 pupils receive a double lesson of art each week allowing them to continue exploring different types of media, prior to choosing subject options for S3 and beyond.

“Intermediate 2 is largely coursework based and pupils explore an Expressive unit and a Design unit.  Alongside these units they study artists and designers who have inspired their work and are tested on these in examination conditions at the end of the course.

Having a small group means that the course can be tailored around the needs of my students and as a practitioner that makes it really exciting as I can get fully involved in each individual project.  I also really enjoy the privilege of watching each pupil develop as an artist or designer in their own right. Over the two years they will evolve a style, establish a preferred discipline and become more confident in their ability and with such a small class I get to work closely with them on this exciting journey.”

Sarah Wood
Art and Design Teacher

Intermediate 2 Course content & skills:

The course is divided into three units.

Unit 1:  Expressive Activity

Pupils will investigate into and develop a chosen theme and then produce an outcome based on their studies.

Pupils might base their theme on one of the following areas; Portraiture, Figure Composition, Still Life, Natural Environment, Built Environment, or Fantasy and Imagination.

The outcome can be two or three-dimensional and they can use a range of disciplines such as painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, three-dimensional construction/sculpture or mixed media work.

Unit 2:  Design Activity

Pupils will identify and research into a design need.  They will develop their ideas into a two or three-dimensional solution which they then evaluate. 

Pupils can select from one of the following areas of design to base their work on; Graphic Design, Product Design, Interior Design, Environmental/Architectural Design, Jewellery Design or Textile/Fashion Design.

Unit 3:  Art and Design Studies

Pupils will produce written evidence of their knowledge and understanding of a chosen area of the Visual Arts and a chosen area of Design.  These areas must reflect their projects from Units 1 and 2.

 

Level: Higher

Aim: “…to develop aesthetic understanding, creative and visual awareness, knowledge and appreciation.  It encourages candidates to use a range of media and technology to understand, appreciate and respond to their world.  The course promotes creative thinking, encourages independent thought, initiative, innovation, problem solving and the development of personal opinions”.

Course Content & Skills:

The course content is the same as Intermediate 2, however, at Higher pupils are expected to work with greater independence and to explore the activities in more depth.  Pupils are given more freedom to develop their own ideas and follow their own field of interest.

The course is divided into three units.

Unit 1: Expressive Activity

Pupils will investigate into and develop a chosen theme and then produce an outcome based on their studies.  Pupils might base their theme on one of the following areas; Portraiture, Figure Composition, Still Life, Natural Environment, Built Environment, or Fantasy and Imagination. The outcome can be two or three-dimensional and they can use a range of disciplines such as painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, three-dimensional construction/sculpture or mixed media work.

Unit 2: Design Activity

Pupils will identify and research into a design need.  They will develop their ideas into a two or three-dimensional solution which they then evaluate.  Pupils can select from one of the following areas of design to base their work on; Graphic Design, Product Design, Interior Design, Environmental/Architectural Design, Jewellery Design or Textile/Fashion Design.

Unit 3: Art and Design Studies

Pupils will produce written evidence of their knowledge and understanding of a chosen area of the Visual Arts and a chosen area of Design.  These areas must reflect their projects from Units 1 and 2.

Assessment:

Units 1 & 2 are of equal value and each one needs a pass.

Unit 1: Expressive Activity: One A2 sheet of investigative work, one A2 sheet of development work and one final outcome.

Unit 2: Design Activity: One A2 sheet of research and investigative work, one A2 sheet of development work andone solution and evaluation.

Unit 3: Art and Design Studies

A question paper made up of two sections, one relating to the Visual Arts and the other to Design.

The question paper is set by SQA and completed under examination conditions.