Speech and Drama is a popular ‘extra’ subject at Downe House, with around 200 girls electing to take lessons each year. This booklet is designed to provide you with all the information you need to select the most appropriate lesson type for your daughter.
Speech and Drama encourages self-confidence and promotes creativity, imagination and team-working skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. Skills in acting and communication help develop an ability to speak and to express views and opinions with confidence. The lessons encourage an appreciation and understanding of literature and the spoken word through speaking, reading and listening; they also promote technical skills such as clear articulation, confident physicality and breath control.
Over the course of a year, your daughter can expect to experience the following elements in her lessons:
• Play Reading
• Poetry Reading
• Choral Speaking
• Sight Reading
• Improvisation
• Devised Drama
Acting for Screen
• Musical Theatre
• Mime and Physical Theatre
• Breath Support and Awareness
• Vocal Development (i.e. modulation, projection, resonance and articulation)
We are delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity for pupils in Lower Fifth and above who are passionate about performance and eager to develop screen-ready skills. The Acting for Screen course, accredited by Trinity College London, provides an immersive and highly relevant introduction to the world of film and television acting. Developed by industry professionals, the course mirrors the expectations of the modern screen industry, ensuring students gain both practical experience and recognised qualifications on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). Through three progressive levels- Screen One, Two, and Three- students can tailor their learning journey to suit their development. The course offers comprehensive training in technical aspects such as camera framing, eyeline, and performance techniques, including emotional expression and dialogue delivery. Students will engage in practical tasks including monologues, dialogues, and ident tasks, where they learn to present themselves naturally on camera- an essential skill for auditions and self-tapes. Playback review sessions further support the development of critical self-reflection and performance refinement. Whether working solo or in pairs, students will gain confidence, communication skills, and on-screen presence, making this an exceptional opportunity to explore acting in a new and engaging medium.
Dance
The school’s dynamic and inspiring Dance Department offers a diverse and exciting range of lessons in Contemporary, RAD Ballet, ISTD Ballet, and Street Dance, catering to students of varying interests and abilities. Whether pursuing dance for examination purposes or participating purely for enjoyment, students are supported in developing both technical proficiency and expressive performance skills. In addition to regular classes, enthusiastic dancers can audition for the Lower School Dance Academy and the Dance Company, both of which focus on performance and provide valuable stage experience. Beyond physical training, the department emphasises the development of discipline, teamwork, creativity, and confidence- essential life skills that extend far beyond the dance studio.
LESSON FEES FOR 2025/26
SPEECH AND DRAMA
Group lesson (per pupil)
£31.20
Pair lesson (per pupil)
£39.96
Individual lesson
£47.52
DANCE
40 minute individual lesson
£53.40
60 minute individual lesson
£79.80
60 minute duo lesson (per pupil)
£33.60
Group lesson (per pupil)
£21.12
Performing Arts lesson charges include VAT.
ACTING FOR SCREEN
Pair lesson (per pupil)
£36.96
Individual lesson (per pupil)
£47.52
Speech and Drama lesson structure
REMOVE TO UPPER FOURTH
Girls in the Remove to Upper Fourth will automatically be placed in group Speech and Drama lessons. The girls enjoy the collaborative nature of the classes, and the co-operative effort involved in preparing for the examination helps to build skills in a range of areas.
Group sizes are kept small and girls have a high degree of control over their eventual examination piece. Depending on the group’s preference, over the past few years we have had Remove to Upper Fourth examination entries in Scripted Group Drama and Devised Group Drama.
• Remove work to Grade 2 level of the Trinity syllabus.
• Lower Fourth work to Grade 3 level of the Trinity syllabus.
• Upper Fourth work to Grade 4 level of the Trinity syllabus.
Speech and Drama lessons are timetabled once a week and take place during a ‘prep’ lesson. Lesson content follows the Trinity syllabus, to prepare girls for the performance examination.
LOWER FIFTH TO UPPER FIFTH
Girls in the Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth are offered solo or pair lessons in Speech and Drama, Musical Theatre, and Communication Skills. Group lessons are not possible due to timetabling restrictions. The girls follow the Trinity syllabus, working towards Grades 5 and 6.
LOWER SIXTH TO UPPER SIXTH
In Sixth Form the girls typically work towards Trinity Grades 7 and 8, both of which attract UCAS points. At this advanced level, girls may be considering a career in a theatre-related field, applying to read Drama at University or planning to audition for Drama School. We can help prepare them for auditions and interviews both on a practical level and through broadening their experience and appreciation of literature and drama.
Dance lesson structure
The Extra-Curricular Dance lessons all take place in the evenings in addition to the girls’ academic timetables. We offer a choice of lessons in Contemporary. Street Dance, RAD Ballet and ISTD (Cecchetti) Ballet. In each of these disciplines your daughter can choose whether she wants to take exams or just take them recreationally.
The Lower School Dance Academy is open to all Lower School students regardless of experience. The Dance Academy trains once a week under the tuition of the Head of Dance, focusing on improving technique and performance skills. These girls are given the opportunity to perform in our annual dance show as well as dancing in other in-House performing arts productions.
Acting for Screen lesson structure
Acting for Screen lessons can be taken as a solo or pair session and take place in prep lessons throughout the day. Girls do not have to take exams, but if they choose to, these take place digitally, with the exams are filmed and uploaded to Trinity’s portal. The highest-level graded exam can contribute to UCAS points.
Musical Theatre
Musical Theatre is one of the fastest growing areas of interest within the Dramatic Arts. The Trinity Musical Theatre syllabus recognises this and supports development in musical theatre training internationally. The syllabus integrates well with other programmes and examinations in performance.
Grade examinations in Musical Theatre are available for solo and duologue work. The three disciplines that are examined in these syllabuses are singing, acting and movement but, as is the nature of Musical Theatre, candidates need to demonstrate their ability in these skills through integrative performance. At all levels, the syllabus offers a wide choice for selection of performance material which may include material from the candidate's own country or culture.
Solo and duologue Musical Theatre lessons are available to girls in Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth. Girls will usually have had, or will be undertaking, singing lessons and may have experience in dance as well. The emphasis is on the holistic nature of these skills in creating and presenting a character. Musical Theatre exams are fairly demanding and necessitate rigorous preparation and commitment.
Upper Fourth girls who are interested in Musical Theatre for the following year can join a group trial Musical Theatre class during the Summer term. These lessons will give an overview of the skills and musical styles needed for Musical Theatre exams. Group Musical Theatre trial classes are charged at the Group lesson rates.
For more information please contact:
Mrs Olivia Cadle Head of Extra-Curricular Performing Arts Email: cadleo@downehouse.net
Communication Skills
Trinity examinations in Communication Skills are designed to allow candidates to develop and refine expertise in different types of communication through spoken English. Examinations assess a candidate’s ability to engage with analytical and critical concepts, to persuade, to negotiate, to summarise and to communicate information, ideas and opinions in a variety of contexts. The focus is on developing powerful and persuasive speech techniques.
At most grades, candidates are required to respond to a range of imagined scenarios and employ verbal and non-verbal skills and responses appropriate to them. Candidates’ levels of success in these examinations depend on their ability to recognise and employ the different communication skills appropriate for each task.
This syllabus has proven to be an effective method for successfully increasing confidence and skill in all modes of speech communication, whether for social, professional, or public situations. At its higher levels, these examinations can be a valuable addition to preparation for a range of professions such as law, medicine, business, religion, and teaching.
Even speakers of English as a second language have found the challenges of this syllabus valuable, for example in preparation for giving presentations in English and in developing their summarising skills. As a result, a large number of our Communications Skills pupils speak English as their second language.
LAMDA
Shakespeare
LAMDA Shakespeare provides an opportunity for students who are particularly inspired by the works of Shakespeare to practice and perform a programme of pieces that will be examined formally. These exams are currently taken at the LAMDA Centre in London and arrangements for this are made on a case-bycase basis.
Performing Arts Examinations
Examination fees are reviewed by the examining bodies annually. Please click the relevant link below to view the current examination fees.
TRINITY SPEECH AND DRAMA EXAMS
Exam Fees | Trinity College London
TRINITY ACTING FOR SCREEN EXAMS
Exam Fees | Trinity College London
LAMDA SHAKESPEARE EXAMS
Exam Fees | LAMDA
RAMBERT CONTEMPORARY DANCE EXAMS
Exam Fees | Rambert Grades
Frequently Asked Questions
CAN MY DAUGHTER DO MORE THAN ONE WEEKLY LESSON?
Many of our pupils from the Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth do more than one weekly Speech and Drama lesson. Some choose to combine solo and duo lessons while others want to do both Speech and Drama, Musical Theatre and/or Communication Skills. We will always do whatever possible to accommodate these requests for multiple lessons although they cannot be guaranteed. In the event that we are unable to fulfil all lesson requirements, we will contact your daughter to ask what her preferred lesson would be.
IS SPEECH AND DRAMA LIKELY TO INTERFERE WITH MY DAUGHTER’S ACADEMIC LESSONS?
Speech and Drama lessons take place during prep periods, there is no interference with academic lessons at all. Apart from learning lines, no prep is given for Speech and Drama and there is no requirement for practice outside of lessons, although girls will tend to get together to rehearse in the evenings in the lead-up to an exam. Occasionally, your daughter may find that due to the number of extra lessons she is taking (Speech and Drama, individual Music, Tennis coaching etc), that her prep periods are considerably reduced. In such a case, it may be advisable to reduce one of her extra lessons.
MY DAUGHTER HAS DONE LAMDA/ESB EXAMS - HOW CAN SHE TRANSFER TO TRINITY?
Most of the Speech and Drama boards have similar requirements in the lower grades, so your daughter will be at a similar level to everyone else. There are no pre-requisites and your daughter can join Trinity at any level.
HOW CAN I ENSURE MY DAUGHTER ISN’T RE-SITTING AN EXAM SHE HAS DONE BEFORE?
Many prep schools have their students undertake Speech as opposed to Drama exams, or Solo/Duologue as opposed to Group exams. Additionally there are minimum age-levels for the higher grades, so it is unlikely that your daughter will re-sit the same exam. Occasionally it will be necessary for a pupil to resit an examination grade that she has taken before. In these cases extra care will be taken to ensure that the pupil is suitably stretched and challenged in her lessons.
MY DAUGHTER DOESN’T WANT LESSONS NOW, BUT MAY WISH TO START LATER IN THE YEAR. IS THIS POSSIBLE?
Due to timetable constraints and the nature of Group lessons it can be difficult to find a lesson slot once the school year is underway. However, we run a waiting list and are always happy to accept registration for the following year in advance. As Dance lessons take place in the evening and do not coincide with academic lessons or preps, it is easier for your daughter to start later in the year. However, it is worth noting that if she intends on taking an exam, this will not be possible if she starts later in the year as she will miss learning part of the syllabus.
MY DAUGHTER DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE AN EXAM THIS YEAR, BUT MAY WISH TO IN THE FUTURE. IS THIS POSSIBLE?
Yes, this is possible. Non-exam groups/pairs/individuals follow the same syllabus as exam groups, so that everyone remains at a similar level.
For more information please contact Mrs Olivia Cadle
Head of Extra-Curricular Performing Arts
Email: cadleo@downehouse.net
Terms and Conditions 2025/26
DANCE
Extra-Curricular Dance lessons are available to all year groups throughout the academic year and refer to any Dance lesson that takes place outside of an academic setting. This does not refer to Dance lessons that take place as part of the PE curriculum.
Lessons are normally conducted in groups. Whilst every effort will be made to grant requests for particular class sizes, this cannot be guaranteed due to timetable constraints and availability of staff. Private lessons are subject to availability and must be approved by the Head of Extra-Curricular Performing Arts.
If your daughter is going to be absent from a class, written notice must be given by a parent or guardian at least 24 hours in advance. If notice is not received, or is received less than 24 hours before the class takes place, the session will be charged in full.
DRAMA
Extra-Curricular Drama lessons are available to all year groups and refer to the Trinity Speech and Drama lessons and LAMDA Shakespeare lessons that pupils attend during the school day. This includes:
• Speech and Drama/Acting lessons (group, duo, solo)
• Musical Theatre lessons (duo, solo)
• Communication Skills lessons (duo, solo)
• LAMDA Shakespeare
Speech and Drama, Musical Theatre and Communication Skills lessons are delivered during the school day and are scheduled to enhance a pupil’s academic timetable. Whilst not guaranteed, pupils may make requests regarding their teacher and the group with which they work, and we will do our best to facilitate this. All pupils attending Extra-Curricular Drama lessons will be entered for Trinity examination in either the Lent or Summer term.
GIVING NOTICE
It is acknowledged that it is sometimes necessary for pupils to cease Extra-Curricular Performing Arts lessons. To cease lessons, a full half term’s notice is required, in writing, to the Performing Arts notice email address- performingartsnotice@downehouse.net
It is possible to terminate lessons immediately, but a full half term’s fee will be charged in lieu of notice. The deadlines for giving notice for the next three terms are detailed below:
DEADLINES FOR GIVING NOTICE
End of the Michaelmas term 2025: Friday 17 October 2025
End of the Lent half term 2026: Wednesday 10 December 2025
End of the Lent term 2026: Friday 13 February 2026
End of the Summer half term 2026: Wednesday 25 March 2026
End of the Summer term 2026: Friday 22 May 2026
End of the Michaelmas half term 2026: Friday 3 July 2026
UPPER SIXTH GIRLS ON STUDY LEAVE
Lessons are suspended during study leave without charge. Lessons may be arranged during study leave, but this must be specifically requested by parents in writing to Mrs Cadle.
UPPER FIFTH GIRLS ON STUDY LEAVE
Girls who are not participating in Dance or Drama exams in the Summer Term may have their lessons deferred during study leave without charge, however girls can choose to attend should they wish. Girls wishing to defer lessons should contact Mrs Cadle before study leave commences. Extra-Curricular lessons will re-commence for girls in September unless notice is given on or before Friday 22 May 2026.
