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Secondary education

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Original poster

Has drama been dropped from the National Curriculum?

23 replies

icecreamvan · 13/10/2016 12:46

I'm confused ...

Just been on a tour of a secondary school and been told by the deputy there that the Arts are no longer on the National Curriculum anymore. Drama and Art are not required to be taught anymore in Year 7 and 8 - after that its optional anyway. Their school are holding onto them because they believe that their important. But other schools might not be ...

Also eventually this school might be forced to drop them too.

Is anyone else aware of this? I haven't heard it at any other schools or read about it anywhere before.

OP posts:
coragreta · 13/10/2016 12:56

Drama never has been part of the national curriculum. A very small reference within in English but that's all.

TreehouseTales · 13/10/2016 12:58

Wow
We had fortnightly drama in years 8 and 9.

Balletgirlmum · 13/10/2016 12:58

It's never been on.

Drama wasn't offered at all a my school in the 80s. I had to go to college to do drama a level.

MrsJayy · 13/10/2016 13:01

Drama was never in Dds school granted I live in another country to you but it seemed to be an LEA decision not a Curriculum decision iyswim Dd is now a Drama student and she did a statyed on a lower course because she didn't do Drama exam

HSMMaCM · 13/10/2016 13:47

Performing arts has definitely been downgraded as an 'important' subject by the powers that be. DD's school think it's really important and are carrying on with it all, but I think there is a lack of funding for it, which is sad.

TreehouseTales · 13/10/2016 14:11

It seems like to get good sports,art,drama you'd need to go private....

OdinsLoveChild · 13/10/2016 14:21

Our school used to be an 'Arts and Drama School'. That's no longer the case and due to cut backs the art and drama programmes are being scaled back massively. Drama used to account for 4 out of 10 English lessons, its being dropped down to just 1 from next year.

These are things that children can access after school with drama club and art club now as an alternative. They just wont form part of the school curriculum.

We're you specifically looking for Art and Drama? As another poster said, these are possibly better provided for at independent schools.

Mandolinoparadiso · 13/10/2016 14:23

One of the reasons that I chose DS's school was that drama, music and art are compulsory up to Year 10, and the ethos of the school is one of encouraging creativity and going beyond the curriculum. It's an ordinary comprehensive.

Sunnydawn · 13/10/2016 14:25

We were told that it was part of the English curriculum. DS1 had 1 lesson per week in year 7, and now alternates with dance in year 8.

mudandmayhem01 · 13/10/2016 14:26

One of the schools I work in offers no Art, music or design technology at GCSE, this makes me very sad, especially as the school is in an area where very few parents can afford extra curricular clubs and activities.

Original poster
icecreamvan · 13/10/2016 14:29

I wasn't specifically looking for drama and Art - but think they're both important and would feel sad if DS didn't get to do either of them in his school. I'm not sure whether he would end up doing either for GCSE but know he'd enjoy them before.

OP posts:
intheknickersoftime · 13/10/2016 14:34

My daughter is in year 10 and is taking G CSE DRAMA at a local Academy school in Derbyshire. I took Drama and Theatre Arts and got a CSE in 1987. Feel very fortunate that my daughter has this opportunity. There are only 10 on the course. It's not valued as it should be.

ReallyTired · 13/10/2016 16:35

My son is doing both GCSE music and drama. His school has children do art, music, drama, dance, technology as part of key stage 3. I thought that all schools did.

OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 13/10/2016 16:49

It's being eradicated from the curriculum because the current government places no value on the arts whatsoever.

I graduated from a theatre degree last year. I couldn't do Drama GCSE because it wasn't on the curriculum so my school didn't offer it, despite offering Travel & Tourism GCSE and Hairdressing BTEC.

simpson · 13/10/2016 16:58

DS (yr7) is at a school where they don't teach drama or music. He does do art though.

Yankeetarts · 13/10/2016 17:02

My year 10 dd is has taken drama for GCSEs

LittleStripyBee · 13/10/2016 17:08

Ds is in year 7 and has separate lessons for drama, music and art. I'm surprised to hear schools don't do them!

pointythings · 13/10/2016 20:24

D2 is in Yr9 and is doing Drama for GCSE - there are about 50 people taking it in her year. The school takes it very seriously and it is definitely not a jolly, easy subject.

PettsWoodParadise · 13/10/2016 22:00

DD is in Y7 at a grammar school and she does drama, art, music, sport and DT as well as baking (for the Y7 parents evening Wink) so it is not correct that, as mentioned upthread, you have to go private to experience these. It is important to balance out the academic side.

lacebell10 · 13/10/2016 22:26

Shame that things the country excels in and makes a lot of money from are not valued. My dd in yr7 does 2 drama and 2 music and 2 art in their fornightly rotation. As the state school has in the last few years spent 100k on performance art block I think they'll be continuing it. But then 8/12 classes also do Latin in yea 7

deepdarkwood · 13/10/2016 22:32

Wow, amazed to hear this - another one here in the state sector (y8) in a school that has specialised art, music and drama lessons every week. Ds's school also has 3 different after school drama clubs as well as an annual school production. It's a science and technology & MFL focused school too! (And not grammar)

Wakemeuuuup · 14/10/2016 13:54

My son has just started year 7 and is doing art, music and drama for 1 class each per week. Also doing DT twice a week.

youngestisapsycho · 14/10/2016 13:58

My DDs school do Art, drama and music in years 7&8, then they start options in Yr9 so only carry on if they choose to.
There are after school clubs in all 3 subjects too. They have a great Drama dept. actually, and often put on plays/performances.

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