ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø

The Drama Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus (2025) includes:

• content into 6 focus areas which may be taught discretely or through integrated programs of study: Forms and styles; Improvising and devising; Scripts in practice; Australian drama and theatre; Approaches to drama and theatre; and Drama project
• replacement of ‘Appreciating’ with ‘Critically reflecting’ as a key practice and further structuring of outcomes and content into the 3 interrelated content groups of making, performing and critically reflecting.

• , , outcomes and optional teaching advice aligned to the Drama 11–12 Syllabus (2025) to facilitate integrated delivery
• flexibility for teachers to select and sequence and to meet the particular needs of individual students
• opportunities for students to build and extend on the knowledge, understanding and skills of dramatic contexts, dramatic processes and dramatic elements which they may have developed through engagement with Life Skills for Stage 4/5 content and outcomes
• opportunities for students to engage in the creation of an individual or collaborative and with one or more dramatic works and/or practitioners, including dramatic works by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
• advice for exploring   and
• an increase from 7 to 12 outcomes to allow greater flexibility and response to students’ needs, with a continued requirement for students to demonstrate achievement against one or more outcomes
• no requirement for formal or external examinations for Years 11–12 Drama Life Skills and as such, evidence of achievement can be based on
  • formative assessment opportunities
  • summative assessment opportunities
• the opportunity for students to complete a performance (Ensemble performance or Individual project: Performance) and be viewed by HSC markers, where it is meaningful and appropriate for the student.

The organisation of Drama Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus image is from the @ NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority (NESA), for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2025.

Prior to implementing the Drama Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus (2025), leaders will need to consider the following:

• The of students for a Life Skills pattern of study.
• Complexities for staff working
  • across 2 different syllabuses to teach Drama Life Skills 11–12 and the complications of a staggered implementation structure (syllabus differences include structure, terminology, outcomes and content)
  • in a KLA with multiple syllabus release dates across subjects and implementation models staggered across multiple cohorts and subjects
  • without prior knowledge of the 3 content groups in the – dramatic contexts, dramatic processes and dramatic elements – which are assessed in the new Drama Life Skill outcomes.
• Building teacher understanding about
  • protocols for working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander content
  • the new Drama project as a collaborative or individual learning opportunity.
• Supporting teachers’ understanding of designing and teaching the interrelated practices of making, performing and critically reflecting.
• Resource and budget implications, including
  • providing support for staff to engage with the syllabus and professional learning in order to build their skills and understanding and effectively plan for syllabus implementation from 2027
  • determining what resources are currently available to address new syllabus content and acquiring additional resources to address areas of need
  • equipment that enhances learning and supports all students to access the curriculum such as screen readers, audio-visual material and other inclusive learning tools.
• All decisions about curriculum options for students with disability should be made through the process.

The syllabus for Drama Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus (2025) is based on evidence summarised in the published by NESA. The evidence base highlights that:

• creative and critical skills are built through embodied learning experiences with dramatic works and processes (Anderson & Dunn, 2013; Gardiner, 2019; Fensham & Upton, 2023) and through the use of exemplar models, guided and independent practice (Centre for ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Statistics and Evaluation, 2020; Australian ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Research Organisation, 2022; Jefferson, 2015)
• ethical understanding is developed through engagement with dramatic works and processes that allow students opportunities to reflect on and actively shape inclusive participation in social, political and cultural discourses and actions (Freebody & Finneran, 2021)
• intercultural understanding can be built through opportunities to explore representations and communications within and between cultures (Casey, 2013) and building awareness of the ways in which experience, imagination and representation in drama processes reflect and shape culture and identities (Ginther, 2023)
• personal and social capability can be built through applying and refining skills to support interpersonal, non-verbal and empathetic communication skills that can be applied to a wide range of careers and post-school pathways (Hadley, 2015; Cahill & Warwick, 2019; Landry-Wegener, Kaniecki, Gipps, Lebo, & Levine, 2023; Kelly, Nixon, Broadfoot, Hofmeister, & Dornan, 2019)
• learning about respectful protocols for the embodiment of others’ stories and lived experiences in drama support a culturally responsive approach (Hradsky & Forgasz, 2022)
• engagement with dramatic practitioners and diverse contexts develops aesthetic domain knowledge and provides students with models for their own creative work (Gardiner, 2017, Anderson 2012)
• the study of Australian drama and theatre provides meaningful ways to explore Australian identity, stories and characters (McCallum, 2009)
• meaning is produced through enacted and embodied processes, events and experiences in Drama (Allain & Harvie, 2014; Fensham & Upton, 2023; Gregorzewski, 2022)
• engagement with dramatic processes allows students to develop real world skills in negotiation, reflection and problem solving (Ritchhart, 2023)
• group-devising provides opportunities for students to explore and express stories, perspectives and ideas that are distinctly relevant to them and their communities through play and innovation (Hatton & Lovesy, 2008 and 2015)
• documenting and writing texts that describe, evaluate and critically reflect on dramatic works, processes, events and experiences supports literacy skills, cognitive processes and communication skills (Tolisano & Hale, 2018; Ewing R, 2019; Beaumont, 2020).

© NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2025.

• To what extent have staff familiarised themselves with the new syllabus and understand how the changes to the focus areas, content groups and outcomes will impact their programming?
• How have change management considerations been embedded into the School Excellence Plan (SEP) to support teachers and sustain and strengthen curriculum implementation?
• What structures are in place for collaboration across school networks and tailored professional support for all staff to strengthen curriculum implementation?
• What resources are required to commence syllabus implementation and meet planning, programming, assessing, and reporting requirements?
• How has the school engaged with department resources and support for curriculum implementation, such as, Curriculum networks, new Drama Life Skills 11–12 curriculum resources and professional learning, and DEL network initiatives?

• Planning, programming and assessing Creative Arts 11–12 NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• Drama 7–10 (2023) NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• Creative arts K–12 curriculum NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• Cultural Protocols and practices in Creative Arts NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• Curriculum Reform NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• NESA
• NESA
• NESA
• NESA