Music and Drama
Individual instrumental tuition can be arranged during or after the school day for children aged 7 and over. Currently, there are children learning piano, violin, flute, clarinet, cello, oboe, saxophone, trumpet and guitar. A school orchestra is well established.
Drama
Drama lessons begin in year 1 and continue through to Year 6. The children start working on role play, discovering themselves and building confidence. They progress to developing characters and integrating them into their own improvisations. Work in the classroom includes teamwork, improvisation, voice production and creating our regular productions.
Music and drama are both regarded as important subjects at St. Mary's. All the children are given opportunities to develop their individual talents and are encouraged to participate in group activities, plays, musicals, choirs and instrumental ensembles on a regular basis. We ensure that all our performances are enjoyed by the children taking part, generating great enthusiasm for future productions.
All children in the school are involved in a major production at some point in the school year. Recent plays have included 'Charlie and The Chocolate Factory', 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'Alice in Wonderland', adapted and set to music written by members of staff. Concerts are also staged which allow the children to contribute short plays, choir and individual or orchestral items. These are often developed by the children themselves from ongoing work in other subjects e.g. humanities and music.
Music
Specialist music lessons begin in Nursery and all children are introduced to the many percussion instruments available in school. Children are taught musical notation and have the opportunity to perform in an instrumental ensemble. Composition forms an important part of class work. Children are encouraged to develop their creativity and understanding of musical structure by composing music in a variety of styles and for different occasions. ICT is introduced at an early stage and pupils quickly become confident with the Interactive Whiteboard. Further experience is gained by using a range of other computer software to enhance their work.
Composing on the Interactive Whiteboard
