Performing Arts

Cliff School recognises that not only do children all have different learning styles, but also that learning has to be an enjoyable experience. In order to access all of these styles and ensure that our children have fun at our school we offer various activities within lessons to enhance the children’s learning. One of the many activities that our teaching staff uses is drama.

The Impact of Drama

As part of the English curriculum drama enhances speaking and listening skills and also enables the children to grow in confidence when speaking to larger groups of people, including adult audiences.
Drama can take many forms. Role-playing allows the children to experience life from the point of view of different personalities, either in present day or from history. Some children have simulated life as Roman soldiers in the Preparatory Department and have dressed in Roman armour and re-enacted some of the battles they were involved in, in order to stimulate ideas for a creative writing project.

Children in our Pre-Preparatory Department experienced life as the diarist Samuel Pepys and wrote their own diaries on parchment in character.

Hot seating is also used where children can question a famous figure who has had an impact on the world in areas such as Science, religion or History. Either the teacher or a child can act the part of the famous person with others guessing their identity through their questioning. Such activities have a stimulating effect on children’s minds and considerably enhance their learning in addition to widening their experiences. They are also great fun!

Drama is a wonderful subject that can be incorporated into any subject and is a hugely enjoyable activity. But there is no more rewarding area of drama than the annual school production which brings together acting, music and dance. This event is one of the many highlights of the school calendar and showcases some wonderful talent amongst our children.