KJS Prospectus 2025-26

Drama “Creativity is as important in education as Literacy” - Ken Robinson The Department (comprising four specialist staff) is incredibly dedicated and passionate about Drama and the valuable role it plays in shaping students’ creativity, confidence, communication, and teamwork skills. We want the students we teach to play, ask questions, explore and to think creatively. We aim to facilitate an engaging, positive, and supportive learning experience for all. Alongside this, we challenge our students to develop a critical and academic understanding of theatre as an art form. We aim to encourage and challenge students to value themselves and produce ambitious standards of work, regularly experiencing opportunities to learn independently as well as part of small and large groups. There is great emphasis placed upon leadership skills which are developed both within curricular and extra-curricular opportunities such as Drama Clubs, Technical Theatre Clubs, Annual House Drama, and school productions. We are enormously proud of the ‘buzz’ that surrounds our department and rehearsal rooms. Our spiralling Key Stage 3 curriculum encompasses a range of skills, conventions, and theatre styles both throughout history and up to the most contemporary practices, in preparation for further studies and the wider world. These skills are then further developed during Key Stage 4 where students may opt to take either the GCSE Drama course or the Performing Arts (Acting). Students pursue a demanding and highly practical curriculum regardless of course choice. At Key Stage 5 students can continue their craft of theatre by selecting Theatre Studies or Performing Arts. The perception of the subject is strong, and there is an outstanding sense of ethos. All the courses offered within the Department are highly popular choices at both GCSE and A-Level entry. English The English Faculty is staffed by a team of energetic, creative teachers who share a strong commitment to the development of our students’ literacy and communication skills. Through a carefully articulated, thematic sequence of units at each key stage, students will be exposed to and respond to a diverse range of different types of reading material: whole texts; extracts from fiction and non-fiction, as well as a variety of prose, poetry and drama texts too. In addition to enjoying literary fiction from a range of cultural and historical periods, students study the many forms and varieties of non-fiction and media texts, including visual media. In English lessons, students are taught how to use texts studied as models for their own writing and will focus on developing the skills required for success in all aspects of the English curriculum. It is our aim that students will become increasingly precise, technically-accurate, stylistically-adventurous and confident writers. Discussion tasks and drama-related activities are used to engage with and enliven texts, enabling students to develop effective analytical skills and prepare for written work, as well as develop their literacy skills. We extend literacy beyond the classroom in a variety of ways. In year seven, students are enrolled in the Accelerated Reader program, designed to drive rapid progress with their reading skills. We also encourage our students to read widely and for pleasure using our Silver Homework initiative. In addition to this, the school library runs a series of literary events such as National Poetry Day, as well as providing an environment for reading on a grand scale including Readathon, poetry performances, workshops by visiting authors, creative writing competitions and creative poetry work. The level of students’ enjoyment of English lessons is reflected in the popularity of Sixth Form courses offered by the Faculty. Each year, large numbers of students choose to pursue English Literature, English Language or Media Studies at Advanced Level and the Faculty has a strong record of success with students who have taken these courses.