Drama

At Barrow Hills we believe that drama is a vitally important part of our school curriculum.  From Nursery right through to Year 8 we are passionate about creating an atmosphere in which all children enjoy drama.

Here at Barrow Hills drama is not just about performing, although it is important to us that all our children get their chance to shine on the school stage!

It is about learning key skills and techniques through drama lessons and activities, so that Barrow Hills children develop the confidence to speak out in front of others in a wide range of settings. It is about creating believable characters through voice and gesture and improvised scenes. It is about continually evaluating their own performances and those of others in a constructive way and working as a team.

Drama at Barrow Hills really does offer something for everyone – whether it’s performing in front of others, using the tablets to create short videos, learning how to work the lighting or sound board or becoming involved backstage.

Children have many opportunities to engage in drama activities at Barrow Hills. As well as a weekly timetabled drama lesson there also is a lunchtime Drama Club for Years 5-8 and the chance to take LAMDA lessons, culminating in an exam at the end of the year.  Musical theatre is a popular after-school activity.

Pre-Prep perform to parents each term and Years 3-8 perform annually to parents on our school stage. Years 3 and 4 perform a short musical play. In Years 5 and 7, the performance takes the form of a Drama Showcase, usually involving a short one act play and some improvised pieces, sketches and musical items, while Years 6 and 8 often perform a musical or a longer more serious dramatic piece. Recent productions have included: ‘Les Misérables’, ‘Private Peaceful’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘Humpty Dumpty’, ‘Joseph’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and extracts from ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’.

Children also have the opportunity to watch professional performances, linked where possible to the English curriculum to support cross curricular learning, and benefit from drama workshops with visiting actors. One of the highlights of our Year 7 and 8 drama programme is a trip to London; the children take part in a drama workshop with professional actors before watching a matinee performance. Year 8 also enjoy creating ‘A Play in a Day’ successfully rehearsing and performing a play in just one day complete with sound, lighting and costumes.

We encourage and support our able pupils to apply for drama scholarships and we are delighted to celebrate recent successes in this area with children receiving a number of awards.

Mrs Mason
Head of Drama