Drama gives every child the opportunity to develop their confidence through collaboration and performance. Drama helps in developing confidence and self-esteem in addition to essential life skills such as presenting to an audience, interview practice and ‘working a room’.
Drama at Longacre is taught by a specialist teacher utilising space throughout the school as appropriate. This may be the Creative Arts Studio, our outdoor classroom in the woods or in the children’s own classrooms. Adapting to varied environments allows the children to be imaginative and resourceful. As part of a broad curriculum approach, the Drama department aims to support interactive workshops in all subjects and explore the skills of questioning and critiquing.
At Longacre each child will have the opportunity to take part in either a staged performance or a rehearsed ‘Showcase’ of topics covered. The productions involve children in various aspects of the Performing Arts, including singing, acting and dancing, with instrumental accompaniments provided by pupils and staff. Not all children are comfortable in the limelight so there are opportunities to create scenery, manage props and costumes, participate in lighting and sound production as well as directing and stage management. All lights are given the chance to shine.
In addition to the drama productions, each class performs a class assembly once a year to which parents are invited. Longacre is also happy to support peripatetic teachers who offer our pupils the opportunity to study for LAMDA and Musical Theatre examinations.
Where possible, the curriculum is enriched with visits from working theatre practitioners in many disciplines, and trips to live performances and workshops at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford and the Globe Theatre in London. Longacre children have also performed in local public speaking competitions and have taken part in the Schools’ Shakespeare Festival.
