Open Event
4 November 2026
Join us at our Open Event and discover what makes St John Rigby one of the most popular choices for students across the region.
Step into the spotlight and discover the world of performance! On this exciting course, you’ll explore a range of acting skills and techniques to help you grow as a confident and versatile performer. You’ll take on practical challenges such as creating original work in groups, bringing stories to life, developing your screen acting craft, and experimenting with different acting styles. Across units like Skills and Techniques for Performance, Group Performance Workshop, Storytelling, Screen Acting, and Acting Styles, you’ll gain hands-on experience that prepares you for both stage and screen. Whether you’re aiming for drama
school, university, or a career in theatre, film, TV, or the wider creative industries, this course is your launchpad into a future filled with performance opportunities.
College entry criteria plus ANY of the following:
• GCSE Drama (minimum grade 4)
• Performing Arts related course (minimum grade 4)
• Related experience of acting/performing inside/outside of school and with an audition
Coursework 80% Exams 20%
However, this course is 100% practical – it’s all about performance. You won’t be sitting written exams; instead, your progress is assessed through workshops, rehearsals, and live or recorded performances where you demonstrate your skills in action. You’ll be expected to reflect on your development as an actor and show how you apply techniques to different roles and styles. Because this is a performance-based course, you must be confident performing in front of others and willing to take creative risks. Assessment is ongoing, so your commitment, teamwork, and performance ability will be at the heart of your success.
Throughout the course you’ll develop a wide range of acting skills through exciting, hands-on units that prepare you for both stage and screen. You will study:
• Unit 34: Skills and Techniques for Performance – build the core acting techniques and rehearsal skills every performer needs.
• Unit 3: Group Performance Workshop – work as part of a company to devise, rehearse, and perform original theatre.
• Unit 29: Storytelling – explore the art of bringing stories to life through voice, movement, and imagination.
• Unit 17: Screen Acting – discover how acting for camera differs from the stage and gain experience in film and TV performance.
• Unit 19: Acting Styles – experiment with a range of performance styles and practitioners to broaden your versatility as an actor.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a strong toolkit of performance skills, practical experience across different acting disciplines, and a portfolio of work to showcase your talent.
The BTEC Extended Certificate in Performing Arts is valued by employers and universities alike. The course can be used as sound preparation for further study of performing arts at a drama school or university course. Recent leavers have gone on to study at Rose Bruford Drama School, Guildford School of Acting and various universities (including UCLan, Manchester Metropolitan University etc.) to study performing arts or related areas such as stage make-up, teaching and film production.
Other career pathways outside of studying performing arts related courses have been: Teaching, fashion, journalism, PE, sport science, english, law, psychology, counselling with drama skills, stage make-up, sociology and social media marketing.
Students have gone on to study at Northern Ballet School, Lincoln, Edge Hill, Salford, Chester, London School of Musical Theatre, UCLan, East 15 and Guildford.
Course activities to prepare for your SJR studies.
For Year 11 students who have applied and will be joining us in Year 12
Our Elective Programme is designed to help you develop your gifts and interests as part of an enhanced level 3 programme. We will help you realise your potential by nurturing your talent and preparing you for study at the most prestigious universities or for progression to competitive higher-level apprenticeships. Your options range from our Honours Programme, which might include following a fourth A level, to specialist Futures Programmes that will support your career goals.
If you’re not quite ready to start on a Level 3 Technical course (T Levels) or a Vocational Level 3 course (BTEC) but want to begin on the path to your chosen career, the Transition Programme could be for you.
Transition Programmes are tailored to prepare students to move onto Technical or Vocational Level 3 study. They will give you the opportunity to improve your English and Maths, your work readiness skills and introduce you to the technical skills and concepts that you will need for future study and employment.
As part of the Transition Programme you will study a BTEC Level 2 Award in your chosen subject area as well as the BTEC Level 2 Extended Award in Work Skills. You will also have the opportunity to resit GCSE English and/or Maths if you have not yet achieved a grade 4.
Entry criteria for Transition Programmes is four grade 3s including grade 3s in English Language and Maths GCSE.