Students at St Mark’s learn Drama from Year 1 through to Year 8. Inquiries, lessons and units of learning are focused around students responding to and creating Drama as outlined in the IB Primary Years Programme.
Throughout the year many aspects of Drama are covered. This includes imaginative play, improvisation and performance-based work.
Trinity College Exams
A major component of the Performing Arts at St Mark’s School is our bi-annual entry to the Trinity College London Group Drama Examinations. These are the focus of a term and a half of learning every other year. Students take examinations in Acting and Speaking, Communication Skills, Musical Theatre and/or Performance Arts, or Young Performers Certificates, determined by their year group. This performance work explores the Unit of Inquiry: ‘How We Express Ourselves’. In this work, we explore characterization, and different modes of expression through acting, singing, dancing, movement and performance.
Student groups at St Mark’s regularly receive Distinctions in these group examinations. Most importantly, they enjoy working in a fun and collaborative learning environment.
School Productions
Every second year, the senior school stages a major production involving all students in Years 7 and 8. Our 2023 production of School of Rock was a great success. In previous years our productions have included The Lion King, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat, Shrek the Musical, Grease: Young Performers Edition and Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Classroom teachers integrate the Arts into their classroom programmes that term to collaborate on these events.
Opportunities are integrated into the Drama and Dance programme to develop the IB Learner Profiles. Our students become Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced and Reflective.
Our performing arts programme is led by Courtney Abbot, BPA, MTchgLn
