DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS EXCELLENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP at Woldingham
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS EXCELLENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP Woldingham School has an outstanding reputation for drama and performing arts. Our industry-standard facilities and specialist staff support students to create productions of the very highest standard. The school has high specification technical support with state-of-theart sound and lighting run by a highly-qualified technical crew. Drama staff work hard to bring out the full potential of each and every student. Drama staff and students work closely with the Music Department on many productions.
FACILITIES Woldingham’s Millennium Centre has some of the best facilities for music and drama performance of any school in the country. The 630-seater acoustically designed Dineen Auditorium includes an orchestra pit and fully computerised sound and lighting system. The Millennium Centre also has recital and rehearsal rooms, a studio theatre, wardrobe room, dressing rooms, recording studios, a live lounge, and foyer area.
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME Drama and performing arts scholars in Years 7 to 11 attend bespoke weekly sessions, where they collaborate as a company of performers to develop and refine their skills, whilst working towards performance platforms, the nationally-recognised Arts Award and grade exams. We have a Drama Ribbon (prefect), a Sixth Former, who is the senior student for drama and performing arts and who plays an important role with our younger scholars and is an ambassador for drama and performing arts across the school. Sixth Form drama and performing arts scholars join our Wold PA Elite Company, which offers semi-professional training in all aspects of performing arts. Students can also take a Level 3 Vocational CAPA Qualification (worth UCAS points), specifically designed for success moving forward in performance. The Wold PA Elite Company’s tiered progression programme of study includes development of acting, movement and vocal skills; effective audition technique; masterclasses from industry professionals. Students graduate from the Wold PA Elite Company with a company showcase.
GCSE AND A LEVEL Drama and performing arts scholars are encouraged to take Drama at GCSE and A Level, but it is not compulsory. We also offer GCSE Dance. Students do not have to take GCSE or A Level Drama to be involved in most productions or performance opportunities.
CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS Drama and performing arts clubs and activities include: KS3 Drama Club Students in Years 7-9 develop acting and performance skills by working on short plays, play adaptations, and devised theatre. Screen Acting & Production Students develop and refine skills, both in front of the camera and behind it. Students learn screen acting techniques, camera angles, storyboarding, editing and more - as well as having the opportunity to achieve RSL PAA Awards (grades 1-8 in screen acting). Glee & Musical Theatre Club A high energy training session focusing on staging extracts and songs from musicals, as well as developing skills needed for contemporary song and dance. Theatre Tech Club For each full-scale production, Theatre Tech Club assists with costumes, props and set, under the guidance of a member of drama staff. Students develop lighting, sound and camera operation skills with support from our professional theatre team. LAMDA Lessons LAMDA solo, paired and trio lessons focus on acting, verse & prose, devising, Shakespeare, public speaking and musical theatre. Students can take LAMDA grades. Arts Award The Arts Award, managed by Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England, inspires young people to grow their arts and leadership talents: it’s creative, valuable and accessible. Woldingham offers Bronze & Silver Awards. Dance We run classes in contemporary, commercial street, ballet and choreography.
OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM Throughout the year, there are numerous opportunities for students in all year groups – both front and back stage – in drama and musical theatre productions, as well as workshop performances of scripted and devised work, and annual dance show. Our ’Wold Fringe Festival’, where we celebrate all things theatre, takes place at the end of the summer term. 2023’s performing arts programme included: Sister Act (Sixth Form production) Get Up & Dance (celebrating a wide range of dance styles) Mamma Mia Madness (Glee and Musical Theatre Club show) High School Musical (Years 7-9 production) Summer Drama Showcase (Drama & PA scholars and LAMDA students) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Year 10 & Lower Sixth production) The Wedding Singer (Sixth Form production) Plans for 2024 include School Daze and Daisy Pulls It Off (Drama and PA scholars), The Little Mermaid (KS3 Drama Club) and Back to the Movies (Glee and Musical Theatre Club).
TRIPS Students have the opportunity to attend some of the best live theatre in the country, with many visits to local and London theatres as well as occasional trips overseas. In 2023, trips included the National Theatre’s production of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba, drama students in Year 9 and Lower Sixth went to see The Woman in Black at London’s Fortune Theatre, and all students in Year 11 saw the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Macbeth in Stratford upon Avon. In February 2024, the Drama Department has a trip to New York for Sixth Form students, where they will see a Broadway production of Chicago and take part in two professional workshops on musical theatre and casting.
EXCELLENCE AND OPPORTUNITY Students are encouraged to gain experience and develop their skills outside of school, as well as in school. In 2023, Alex, Year 11, performed in National Youth Music Theatre’s (NYMT) world premiere of The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair at the Curve Studio, Leicester, working with experienced professionals. Year 8 drama and performing arts scholars Maya and Sophia performed with the NYMT in two productions of When I Grow Up, one at the Rose Theatre, Kingston and the other at Southwark Playhouse, London. Lower Sixth drama scholar Anna studied sound design and composition on a residential course run by the National Youth Theatre.
UNIVERSITY AND BEYOND Our Sixth Form leavers have gained places at institutions such as RADA, Central School, LAMDA and Tiffany Theatre College of Performing Arts and chosen to study drama at top universities including the University of Cambridge. Award-winning actors Emma Corrin and Carey Mulligan attended Woldingham and were both Drama Ribbons.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Woldingham offers drama scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+ and performing arts scholarships at 11+ and 13+. Students who don’t receive a scholarship are encouraged to reapply at a later stage as their skills and expertise develop by taking advantage of drama lessons and the many performing arts opportunities at Woldingham. For more information on drama and performing arts scholarships at Woldingham, contact: Miss Stacey Williams, Director of Drama williamss@woldinghamschool.co.uk or Mrs Linda Underwood, Director of Admissions registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk
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Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey, CR3 7YA (for satellite navigation please use postcode CR3 7LR)
01883 349431 info@woldinghamschool.co.uk
woldinghamschool.co.uk