End Of Year Productions
prime example of learning by stealth too – put children in a classroom test situation and few will find it fun. Put them in a production that allows them to shrug off some of the parameters of primary school life and it’s a different story entirely. Then there’s the importance of the celebratory
aspect of this type of production. Especially in Year 6 there are plenty of measures for assessing ability in core academic subjects, and children who do well in standardised testing get weekly (if not daily) chances to demonstrate their achievements. This is why less-academic tasks and projects, like sporting, dramatic and musical ones are so important. They allow other students their moment in the spotlight, to get a rare ‘well done' and some much-needed recognition. As well as those with acting and singing ability, school productions shine a spotlight on the children with a flair for art and craft; poster design, scenery painting, prop making and costume creation are all crucial to the success of a show. Also, the experience of being involved may spark an interest that extends beyond school. “Pupils’ attitudes towards school productions have changed since programmes like Glee or films like High School Musical”, says Peta Ackerley, Year 3 teacher, Austhorpe Primary School in Leeds. “Many more now take musical theatre classes outside of school and enjoy being involved in their own school’s productions.”
It’s not just about the children… Primary school teachers and teaching assistants are creative people; the job of delivering lessons in a wide variety of subjects demands this. Many can sing, play a musical instrument or make things like would-be Blue Peter presenters! They
are the unsung masters in arts, crafts and drama as well as the core subjects and, unfortunately, they are not given enough credit for their outstanding work, nor enough opportunity to have fun while flexing these skills. There is no denying that the feeling which follows a roof- raising performance is, for many children, every bit as important as doing well in formal assessment and this is true for the teachers too. In our school we always found that staging an end-of-year production showed off the creativity that teachers had injected into lessons all year round, and gave them some of the congratulatory recognition they deserved, something that Natasha Clemitshaw, a teacher at Canon Popham CE Primary School in Doncaster sees with their productions. “The night of the production is always fantastic as it’s a hugely rewarding moment for everyone involved. Seeing parents so proud of their children is priceless but it’s also being part of a bigger, creative story that raises a wry smile as much as it prompts a belly laugh that we love."
Challenging but rewarding The biggest challenges of staging a production are time and space constraints. Hall time is a valuable resource and many classes have to give up activities like PE to accommodate rehearsals. Teachers also have to manage large groups in a pressured situation, ensuring children have learned their lines and lyrics. The frustration of shouting “Sing up!”, “Don’t mumble!” and “For goodness’ sake, smile!” ad nauseam can take its toll! To overcome these hurdles it’s crucial teachers
plan ahead and delegate as much as possible; as mentioned, there's a great deal of musical and
artistic talent amongst teaching assistants and it’s worth getting help from willing parents too. Teachers also need to prioritise what needs to be done, like spending a couple of weeks just learning the songs before even thinking about the script. Setting short-term goals, for example, by week two, all songs to be learned, parts assigned and scripts given out, can really help. It is also a good idea to hold auditions to establish which children suit which parts. Most importantly of all though, teachers must involve children in the choice of musical, especially if they’re staging a leavers’ one as it needs to be something children will enjoy and want to actively participate in during the last weeks of term. As David Morley points out, “Make sure all students have a role, even if it’s backstage. Some children don’t seek the limelight but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given the opportunity to shine.” End-of-year and leavers’ productions are a
great way to explore the diversity of children’s talents beyond the classroom and are an excellent vehicle for artistic expression and personal development. When the content is specifically about school life, students are able to bring something of themselves to the parts they play and the lyrics they sing. They get to be a bit cheeky, sending up teachers, school staff and parents in a light-hearted way. It’s this chance to reflect and to take on a slightly more adult role that makes these sorts of school musicals such a valuable way to round off the primary school years. And crucially, since a happy ending should always carry a bit of emotional heft, they also give us all the chance to say goodbye.
uwww.edgyproductions.com
May 2015
www.education-today.co.uk
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