This unit builds on previous study of Drama at KS3 and introduces students to the demands of the course. Practical work is aimed at building effective group dynamics and trust between students. Students are introduced to a variety of explorative strategies that they will find useful throughout the remainder of the course. Students are usually required to lead a creative presentation and share with others an area of their learning and research. Together we work on a short devising project and students are taken through the appropriate steps and work towards a short performance.

Students respond to a stimulus to produce a devised piece - this is chosen by the teacher in response to students' interests and experiences. Example starting points might be, for example, building on a successful practical activity from class or selecting a particular target audience or creating a particular style of theatre. The intention with this project is to use it as a learning experience and to explore acting techniques, use of space, use of production elements, etc. However, as with all work at IGCSE, the project can be entered for coursework and, in that case, would be worth 20% of the final grade. Half this would come from the process of creating/shaping and the other half from the actual live performance itself.

Building on previous scripted work, students select - with teacher guidance - an appropriate monologue and work towards a polished performance. Students create a action plans, research their roles, annotate scripts (rising & falling tension, climax/anti-climax, sub-text, etc) and use appropriate techniques to explore characterization (e.g. role on the wall, hot seating, angel/devil, etc). If this monologue is submitted as final coursework it is worth noting that this process of preparation is worth 10% of the final IGCSE grade and the actual live performance is worth another 10%. Students must, therefore, use their working notebooks to evidence all their efforts.

This unit builds on earlier scripted work from Grade 8. In groups, students are required to explore and perform an appropriate piece of scripted drama from a published play. Using appropriate explorative strategies, students explore how to take a script from the page to the stage. This process is worth 10% of the final IGCSE grade and it is crucial that all learning and progress is carefully recorded in students' working notebooks. The final performance is also worth 10% of the final IGCSE grade and must be performed before a live audience. With guidance from the teacher, students will select appropriate characters and play extracts. Groups can range from 2 - 6 students as set out by Cambridge.

This unit allows students to use all their prior learning and experience to work on a final solo performance. They will begin their second scripted monologue before the summer holidays in Grade 9 and will work on line learning and initial preparation over the holiday. On returning in September, students will use class and homework time to rehearse, shape and prepare their performance. Students are often keen to submit this work for their coursework (worth 20% of the final IGCSE grade) and, as with all earlier monologue work, document all the process from the page to the stage or the stimulus to the stage.

This unit builds on previous devising work and allows students another opportunity to work in groups and create original pieces of theatre. Cambridge suggests a possible list of devising areas (e.g. on a domestic issue, on a political issue, a piece of commedia dell'arte, etc.) although schools can now select their own appropriate stimuli. Students will work in groups to create an action plan, research appropriately, effectively structure their work, carefully block and rehearse, present work in progress and respond to constructive criticism and organise teachnical/dress rehearsals. Each student normally takes responsibility for a certain area (e.g. set, costumes, props, etc) and has this realised in the final performance. As with other areas of the course, students must record all their process in their working notebooks in order to access the full range of process marks (worth 10% of final IGCSE grade). The final performance (worth 10% of final grade) is performed before a live audience.

Cambridge Assessment issue the assessment material in term 1 of Grade 10 and schools are required to work on this to prepare for the written exam. The material includes a published play and students need to bring the script to life. It must be staged so students can explore themes/messages, characterization, status, relationships, proxemics, use of set/space, use of costume & props, lighting, sound, etc. They should carefully record all this learning in their working notebooks so they can successfully revise later. Practice questions are set and students gain valuable experience answering essay questions on various aspects of the script. Cambridge also require students to create and perform a devised piece from stimuli provided. Again, students prepare themselves to answer short questions and one essay question on these three pieces. Questions often focus on the how key messages/ideas were portrayed, how students used space/set, how students used technical aspects such as lighting, sound, costume, props, etc or how effectively these pieces were structured. They are expected to use previous experience to respond imaginatively to the assessment material. During the written exam, they are asked to critically engage with their practical work as intelligent and thoughtful drama students. The written exam is worth 40% of the final IGCSE grade.