PERFORMANCE PERFECTION
PERFORMANCE PERFECTION
Performance Perfection - tips for getting the best out of your students’ performances
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n our second feature thismonth looking at the performing arts in schools, Education Today hears fromSueWarner, Principal at Melland High School. She tells us how performing brings out the best in her students, and offers some tried and tested pointers for getting the best out of your students’ perform ‘All the world’s a
it’s true. Life is a series of acts - of drama, comedy, sport and song - and this is exactly why school performances are so important for young people. They help them recognise and develop skills and strengths that they will use for the rest of their lives .
Melland High School is aManchester special school. Students’ needs are varied, but they gain the same benefits from performance as students attending non-SEN schools. Performances - be they plays, music, dance or sport - help boost confidence and self-esteem, forge friendships, improve memory and bring learning to life. Students enjoy the challenge of performances which are seen as a vital part of their education. The same creative approaches should be used to get the best out of all students - SEN or non SEN - as the real variables when it comes to music and drama are age, abil ity and individual personalities. We are passionate about creativity, drama and performance here atMelland and they are fully embedded into the curriculum, bringing skills together such as media, writing, art, literacy and numeracy. As part of Bright Futures Educational Trust we work closely with our partner academies
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on joint productions and creative activities. This is fantastic as it means we are sharing best practice with other educators, learning from them and most importantly our pupils are gaining insights and developing even more friendships and skill sets.
stage’ said Shakespeare - and ances.
The results speak for themselves.We have one student who has appeared in ‘Our Girl’ and ‘Coronation Street’ as well as taking part in live productions at a major theatre.We have others fulfilling rewarding work placements in creative companies and theatres throughout the city. Our current LadyMacbeth had low self-est since performing in a run of plays, has
c onfidence to become a student lead er and pla y football forManchester City Girls.
We cannot promote the value of performance enough - but recognise that it can sometimes be a challenge to get the most out of the students, especially if they are unwilling at first. So here are some tips for getting the best out of your students and their performances, based on our experiences .
Seek out strengths Seek out strengths
The key is working to the pupil’s strengths and discovering which element of the performance suits them. Not all children are natural actors or singers. Some are passionate about film-making, set design, refereeing, costume or lighting design. Thanks to the various types of performances promoted in school, e.g sport, music and theatre - we can find a role for any pupil, allowing them to shine in their own right.
2 6 www
.education-today.co.uk.co.uk November 2016 2016 Don t let themcruise Don’t let them cruise’
That being said, performances are all about taking people out of their comfort zone. This is exactly how self-confidence is promoted - when a young person realises how good they can be at something and just what they can do, it does wonders for their self-worth.We set targets during our performances, we push our students and we make sure we are aspirational .
Make it collaborat ve
gained the eem but
Make it collaborativei
We’re in the process of performing a series of Shakespeare plays throughoutManchester, with a number of other schools, as part of the
‘Shakespeare Schools Festival’. This has been a
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