Here at Gatehouse School, Music and Drama is never just about the performance.
It’s about the journey to that performance. Across the academic year each class will have the opportunity to explore and gain knowledge, skills and understanding of Drama and Music. In addition, because Drama lessons are linked to each year group’s topics in English, your child’s learning across this core subject will be enhanced. The primary goal is not always ‘theatrical’ performance, but rather developing confidence in public speaking; teamwork skills; empathetic listening and understanding; general knowledge of theatre history; and, finally, having fun while learning.
At Gatehouse School, children have many opportunities to develop and demonstrate their skills in performance. Right from Nursery, pupils rehearse and perform in the Wallbank Hall and make use of our brand new sound and lighting facilities. Every class has at least one whole school assembly a year where they perform a part of their learning, usually taken from their PSHE sessions. Children taking singing or instrumental lessons often perform solos to the whole-school during Monday assemblies.
From Year 3, children have the opportunity to take LAMDA Communication and Performance tuition for graded group acting examinations. The purpose of the qualification is to provide interpretive, technical and interactive skills alongside developing self confidence, communication through spoken word and a love of literature, poetry and drama.
Children who receive instrumental or singing lessons from our peripatetic music teachers can also sit ABRSM exams at Gatehouse, which we host three times a year.
The Autumn term plays host to a Beginners Recital, the annual Poetry Competition, followed by the Nursery Nativity, Reception Christmas Assembly, and Lower and Upper Junior Christmas Concerts. Next up in the Spring term, Year 3 take to the stage with their Musical. The term is rounded off with another Beginners Recital and the Spring Concert, featuring performances by talented soloists and our many Gatehouse School Music Ensembles. The Summer Term begins with the big crowd-pleaser: ‘Gatehouse’s Got Talent!’. We end the busy school year with a final Beginners Recital, the Year 6 Musical, and Summer Concert.
