Hello and welcome to this February update.
If you ever need to get in touch, please use my details below.
In this update you will find:
We understand that lots of teachers offering GCSE Drama and A level Drama and Theatre qualifications might need extra guidance and support to share with their SLTs, line managers and non-specialists in terms of the unique requirements of our subject.
We've produced a handy guide that explains what makes Drama different to other subjects, and how best to support a Drama department.
The Administrative Support Guide 24-25 is the go-to place for all the information and guidance your centre needs for administering the three Components successfully.
Please note: if you have booked a visiting examiner, you are only required to complete Teacher Declaration 1 on the Centre/Candidate Information Sheet (CCIS) prior to the visit. The ASGs currently state both Teacher Declarations 1 and 2 must be completed.
The Component 2 assessment window is now open and runs to 25th April 2025.
Component 2 live visits will take place from 1st February.
The online Text Submission Form should be completed no later than 6 weeks before planned examination date.
Exam entries must be made before the Component 2 examination takes place.
For live visiting examinations, we recommend at least 10 working dates before the live examination date - it can take up to 48 working hours after entries are made for Learner Work Transfer allocations to be available for centres to upload their pre-assessment materials, which are required 7 working days before a live visit.
For digital submissions, we recommend at least 48 working hours before assessment materials are due to be submitted to the examiner via Learner Work Transfer.
Please see the Admin Support Guides above for further guidance and links.
Teaching colleagues are advised to inform their exams officer as examiners will contact centres using the contact details registered on Edexcel Online.
If you haven't heard from an examiner yet, please contact us by emailing drama.assessment@pearson.com
If you are in the UK, don't forget to make your summer 2025 entries for GCSE Drama and A level Drama and Theatre by 21 February 2025.
Late entries will be charged from 22 February, so make sure that you don't miss this deadline.
The entry deadline for international centres is 21 March 2025.
We would be very grateful if our UK centres could complete this short survey as part of our ongoing research to support centres accessing live theatre performances for GCSE Component 3.
Centres are reminded that the performance can be an amateur or professional production as long as the choice enables students to access the demands of this component.
We have a new Exemplar Library for GCSE Drama Components 1 and 2. It's a collection of our student exemplars organised by performance level.
Designed with teachers and access in mind, it is a great way to assess and standardise internally.
You can access the Exemplar Library on the GCSE Drama qualification page using the top right hand tab (circled in green)
You can access the examples by level. We will continue to add to the library with new examples of performance and design students.
Each example will be clearly labelled and be accompanied with a detailed moderator commentary.
We have a brand new Facebook Drama community group for teachers. It's a private, professional group, created to support teacher in delivering our Drama and Theatre qualifications.
Teachers can use this group to field teaching and learning ideas, ask general questions and connection with other Drama and Theatre teachers.
I will be available to respond to queries on the group every week day between 9 and 5pm.
We want to hear from you! Your feedback is important to us, so we’d love to hear your thoughts about our monthly Subject Advisor Updates.
🤳 Take our short survey and share your thoughts before 14 February to be in with the chance of winning a £20 Amazon voucher*.
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The Drama and Theatre Education Alliance (DTEA) has been working to create a National Plan for Drama and Theatre Education.
Towards a National Plan for Drama:
Feedback by 10th Feb 25 to geoff.readman@btinternet.com and drsteveball@hotmail.co.uk
