Introductory Statement and Rationale

(a) Introductory Statement

This plan was formulated by the staff of Wexford ETNS in conjunction with the National Curriculum 1999. It will be reviewed and updated as part of Croke Park hours. The ethos of our school and the needs of the children were factors which influenced our planning for Drama.

(b) Rationale

Drama is a subject of the 1999 Revised Primary School Curriculum. The teachers of Educate Together Wexford acknowledge the importance and benefits of classroom and process drama. This process includes the exploration of life through the creation of plot, theme, fiction and make-believe. The child’s whole personality is engaged in this subject. In this way drama can assist in the fulfilment of the child’s current cognitive, social, emotional and intellectual development.

Vision and Aims

(a) Vision

We seek to assist the children in our school in achieving their potential through the Educate Together National School’s motto, “Learn Together to Live Together”.

(b) Aims

We endorse the aims of the Primary School Curriculum for drama

• To enable the child to become drama literate
• To enable the child to create a permanent bridge between make-believe play and the art form of theatre
• To develop the child’s ability to enter physically, emotionally and intellectually into the drama world in orderto promote questing, empowering and empathetic skills
• To enable the child to develop the social skills necessary to engage openly, honestly and playfully with others
• To enable the child to co-operate and communicate with others in solving problems in the drama and throughthe drama
• To enable the child to understand the structures and modes of drama and how they create links between play,thought and life
• To enable the child to acquire this knowledge of drama through the active exploration of themes drawn fromlife (past and present), whether they have their source in other curricular areas or in general areas relevant tothe child’s life
• To enable the child to begin the process of translating a knowledge of drama into the active exploration of lifethemes from drama literature, leading to the appreciation of world drama culture
• To form the criteria with which to evaluate the drama texts, written or performed, to which he/she iscontinually exposed. This Drama Plan will be addressed under the following headings Curriculum Planning:
  1. Strand and strand units
  2. Approaches and methodologies
  3. Children with different needs
  4. Linkage and integration
  5. Assessment and record keeping
  6. Equality of participation and access

  Organisational Planning:

  7. Timetable
  8. Resources
  9. Health and safety
  10. Individual teachers’ planning and reporting

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11. Staff development 12. Parental involvement 13. Community links

1. Strand and strand units

The content is presented in one strand at each class level:
Strand: Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas leading to understanding.

Within the strand there are three strand units: Strand Units:

• –  exploring and making drama
• –  reflecting on drama
• –  co-operating and communicating in making dramaEach class level will endeavour to incorporate each of the following prompts which will be linked to each class level’s curriculum and will incorporate the spiral nature of the curriculum:
  • one known story
  • a line from a poem
  • a picture or image
  • a piece of music
  • a piece of historyIn keeping with the spiral nature of the curriculum of the revised curriculum topics are revisited and skills further developed each year using methodologies recommended in the revised curriculum and listed hereafter.2. Approaches and methodologies

    Each drama lesson should include the eight elements of drama which are as follows:

• belief
• role and character
• action
• time
• place
• tension
• significance (plot and theme)
• genreThe prerequisites for drama are:

• content
• fictional lens
• a safe environmentAll teachers and children are actively engaged in drama education in our school. Skills, ideas and resources are shared throughout the school. Our approaches and methodologies aim to maximise each child’s participation while catering for the individual needs of our pupils. We use a variety of strategies and conventions including:

• warm up games
• still images and montage
• hot seating
• sound tracking
• thought tracking
• voices in the head
• teacher in role
• pupil in role3. Children with different needsTeachers will adapt and modify activities for children with different needs so that all children in the class can participate fully. The needs of some children may include the following: children with emotional and behavioural difficulties; children with learning difficulties; children with physical disabilities; etc.

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4. Linkage and integration

The contents of drama is life itself. It involves children’s experiences, concerns and needs, things they imagine or read about, aspects of life from the past, present and possible future that arouse their curiosity. It also includes aspects from other curriculum areas that the teacher may wish to explore. Drama can enhance a child’s learning experience by overcoming a particular learning or conceptual difficulty that the class, group or individual child may have. Each teacher should ensure that the quality of the drama is the first consideration when linked to other curricular areas.

5. Assessment and record keeping

Teachers assess the following in drama:
o Exploring and making drama – the extent to which the child enters into a role or a character and

develops it in the context of the action
o Reflecting on drama – the extent to which they use reflection to create alternative courses for the

action or the quality of the insights they gain from the drama experience
o Co-operating and communicating in making drama – the child’s ability to contribute to the shaping of

the drama, both in discussion about it and as the action takes place

Teacher observation is the primary method of assessment in drama. It is through continuous monitoring of the children’s engagement with drama that the teacher can plan the drama experiences that will develop pupils drama skills and concepts most effectively and maximise their learning through drama. Reflection is an essential part of the drama process during the activities themselves and through discussion after the activity has been completed. Work completed in drama is recorded in each teacher’s Cuntas Míosúil.

6. Equality of participation and access

As part of the Educate Together Ethos equal opportunity is provided for boys and girls to participate fully in drama activities. All children, regardless of ability are encouraged to take part in drama lessons. Where necessary, lessons are adapted for children with special educational needs, for example, use of turn taking.

Organisational Planning: 7. Timetable

As outlined by the revised curriculum teachers endeavour to teach drama in accordance with the curriculum guidelines for Arts Education (Music, Art, Drama).

Junior Cylce: 2 hours and 30 mins Senior Cycle: 3 hours

Teachers may use a block of time or a cross curricular approach to the teaching of Drama. Discretionary time is sometimes used for the teaching and learning of Drama.

8. Resources

The following resources are available for use in drama:

• Folder in Staff Room – Drama Resource Books, websites, etc.
• Costumes
• Puppets
• Digital Camera
• Photographs and Pictures
• Internet- Drama games, Story Maps etc…9. Health and safety
  See the school’s Health and Safety Policy

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10. Individual teachers’ planning and reporting
Planning:
There is an agreed framework for teacher’s planning and reporting. Teachers are required to plan for Drama on a long term and short term basis. All teachers use a similar planning template to ensure consistency throughout the school. Monthly plans are reviewed by the principal and are used to inform whole school planning and purchasing of resources.

Reporting:

A fortnightly report, Cuntas Míosúil will be used as a means of recording work completed. Annual parent teacher meetings are used to report progress to parents. The ncca template is used for reporting Drama results to parents at the end of the school year.

11. Staff development

The staff are given the opportunity for CPD in the area of Drama through In-Service and familiarisation with the drama curriculum. Notices of courses are displayed in the staff room and brought to the attention of staff at staff meetings and through our on-line management system.

Resources are kept in a central location for ease of access.

12. Parental involvement

As an Educate Together school we recognise and value parents as partners in education and as the primary educators of their children. Parents are involved in many ways in the school and in Drama.

• Parent Curriculum Meetings at beginning of the year
• Website- information for parents
• Parent speakers on topics
• Annual school reports
• Annual parent-teacher meetings
• Performance or Production for parents
• Visits to local/national Drama productions
• Parents invited to share skills in this area of the curriculum13. Community linksWe have drawn up a list of areas of interest in the locality for the subject of Drama. Other agencies which may be involved in the Drama plan are:

• • •

Buí Bolg
Wexford Arts Centre Wexford Opera Festival

Success criteria

This plan will enhance the teaching and learning of drama in our school. It’s success will be evident from the following criteria:

• Teacher’s preparation is based on this plan
• Teacher/parent/ feedback
• Feedback from children
• Inspector’s reports
• Feedback from second level schools

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Implementation

(a) (a Roles and Responsibilities
The plan will be supported by all the stakeholders, staff, children, parents and school management.

(b) Timeframe

The plan is in place immediately following ratification from the Board of Management. It will be reviewed on a regular basis using Croke Park Hours.

Review

It will be necessary to review this plan on a regular basis to ensure optimum implementation of the drama curriculum.

(a) Roles and Responsibilities

All staff members, Board of Management, children and parents as appropriate.

(b) Timeframe

Reviewed on a bi-annual basis. Review 2015.

Ratification and Communication

The policy document will be brought to the Board Management for ratification. It will be published on our school management system for ease of access for teachers as well as in hard copy form in the school. It will also be published on our school website for parents.

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Reference Section

§ Primary School Curriculum: Drama (1999)
§ Primary School Curriculum. Your Child’s Learning: Guidelines for Parents (available on the NCCA

website www.ncca.ie)

§ The What, Why and How of children’s learning in primary school, NCCA (2006) Useful Websites

Other resources and websites are listed in the materials supplied to schools on the inservice day.

Appendix 1

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Infants – Sixth Strand
Strand Units

Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding

• Exploring and making drama
• Reflecting on drama
• Co-operating and communication in drama

Prerequisites for making drama

• Content
• The fictional lens
• Creating a safe environmentElements of drama

• Belief
• Role and character
• Action
• Place
• Time
• Tension
• Significance
• GenreDrama Prompts

• A known story
• A line from a poem
• A picture or image
• A piece of music
• A piece of history