A chance to shine!

David Morley from Long Meadow Primary school in Milton Keynes talks about giving children the chance to shine...

 

Despite everyone's best intentions to never let it happen again, the end of year 'Leaver's Production' always gets left to the last minute. Everything just seems to get in the way... sports days (which inevitably get cancelled and rearranged so another day is lost), transition days at secondary schools, residential visits etc. It leaves so little time to prepare, rehearse, source costumes and learn lines. And every year we turn to Edgy Productions to bail us out!

With time pressure so great, teachers need to be able to grab ready-made, off the shelf material, that they know they can trust. Last year our Year Six children performed 'Let Loose' and without a doubt, it was one of the best performances that the school has ever produced. There were plenty of great parts to be shared out among the children, with none of the main parts too huge. It provided all of our children with the chance to shine.

The level of humour in the Edgy shows is always terrific. Some of the gags make the children roar with laughter, whilst others leave the children silent and the adults rolling in the aisles. Certainly, ‘Let Loose’ was no exception to this. The misfortune, disaster, farce and resolution provided a perfect platform for the children to excel. Our parents loved the show too. It marks the final culmination, the end of an era, which has seen the transition of them tearfully dropping off a shy four-year-old on their first day at school to watching the confident, bubbly eleven-year-old that they see on the stage before them.

Performing ‘Let Loose’ brought our staff, pupils and parents together on those last few special days in primary school, allowing them to graduate to secondary school with even more special memories of their time together.

David Morley, Dep. Head Teacher Long Meadow Primary School

Natasha Clemitshaw, Year 6 teacher at Canon Popham CE Primary School in Doncaster is our guest blogger this week. She shares the benefits of staging musical productions at primary level.

“At Canon Popham CE Primary School our shared vision is to nurture our children within a happy, stimulating and caring environment. We pride ourselves on being a school where everyone is welcome and respected, where we expect and celebrate high standards and we nurture students’ self-esteem on a journey of self-discovery.

With this in mind, we offer students creative opportunities to be involved in school productions.

For the last five years, I have been addicted to using Edgy Productions’ Year 6 leavers’ musicals and the benefits have been numerous. Staging end-of-year/leavers' musicals about school life means children can bring something of themselves to the parts they are playing and the lyrics they are singing. As a leavers’ or end-of-year show it's also a celebration of their school life; they jump at the chance to play the roles of teachers, parents and other adults, poking fun in a sensitive way.

Moreover, this type of production makes it easier for teachers who don’t come from a background in drama or music because teachers can relate to the stories too!  With Edgy Productions’ in particular, scripts are supported by clear costume and prop ideas, materials of which can be found easily around school. The same goes for the setting too, lightening the workload for the teacher or teaching assistant directing the production.

The final weeks after Year 6 students sit their SATs exams can sometimes drag. Staging a production during this time gives pupils a challenging yet fun project to focus on. It brings them together as a team and gives the children the opportunity to showcase their skills, as well develop new ones.

Once the production has come to an end the final song sung is often met with tears from both children and parents alike. This outpouring of emotion means that children will never forget their Year 6 leavers’ musical and how they were a part of bringing this to life. These musicals give the children a closure on their primary years in a positive way by providing a group bonding experience.

I can’t recommend staging a Year 6 leavers’ musical highly enough to other schools.”