Downe House Speech and Drama Information Booklet

Speech and Drama at Downe House

INTRODUCTION

Speech and Drama is a popular ‘extra’ subject at Downe House, with around two hundred 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-threatening 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

• Musical Theatre

• Mime and Physical Theatre

• Breath Support and Awareness

• Vocal Development (ie: modulation, projection, resonance and articulation)

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 preference, over the past few years we have had Remove to Upper Fourth examination entries in Scripted Group Drama, Devised Group Drama and Musical Theatre.

• 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

We offer Solo and Duologue lessons for girls in the Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth 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.

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:

Mr Rob Castell Head of Drama Enrichment Email: castellr@downehouse.net

Communication Skills

Communication Skills is one of the fastest growing areas of the Speech and Drama department at Downe House, with around 20% of pupils electing to take this course in 2023/24.

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 have proved 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

We are very excited to announce the introduction of a new offering in connection with the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art. This is an opportunity for students particularly inspired by the works of Shakespeare to practice and perform a programme of pieces that will be examined formally. Please visit: Shakespeare | London academy of music & dramatic art (lamda.ac.uk)

Speech and Drama Examinations

INTRODUCTION

We follow the Trinity syllabus, and all girls have the opportunity to sit an exam at one of the two examination slots each year; one in the Lent term and one in the Summer term. The majority of girls choose to take an exam, but this is NOT compulsory and can be decided in conjunction with the girl’s teacher. Girls do not need to have passed one grade in order to sit the next – they can join at any stage.

Remove: Exams take place in the Summer term.

Lower Fourth: Exams take place in the Summer term.

Upper Fourth: Exams take place in the Summer term.

Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth: Exams commonly take place in the Lent term.

Trinity College London is a leading international examinations board with an excellent reputation. All Advanced level exams (Grades 6-8 inclusive) attract UCAS points, and thereby provide a tangible reward for the very hard work that the girls put into preparing their performance pieces.

Remove (Grade 2)

Lower Fourth (Grade 3)

Upper Fourth (Grade 4)

Lower Fifth (Grade 5)

Upper Fifth (Grade 6)

Lower Sixth (Grade 7)

Upper Sixth (Grade 8)

Group of 4 £93.00 (£23.25 per girl)

Group of 5 £103.75 (£20.75 per girl)

Group of 3 £88.25 (£29.50 per girl)

Group of 4 £99.00 (£24.75 per girl)

Group of 3 £97.25 (£32.50 per girl)

Group of 4 £108.00 (£27.00 per girl)

Duologue £107.00 (£53.50 per girl)

Solo £70.00

Duologue £120.00 (£60.00 per girl)

Solo £80.00

Duologue £135.00 (£67.50 per girl)

Solo £89.00

Duologue £150.00 (£75.00 per girl)

Solo £99.00

An additional £5.00 charge applies for paper certificates. Fees for 2024/25 will be published June 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DO I SIGN MY DAUGHTER UP FOR LESSONS?

You can register your daughter for Speech and Drama lessons using our online registration system. If you require assistance or a hard copy of the form, please email Mr Rob Castell, Head of Drama Enrichment (castellr@downehouse.net).

Please note the deadline for 2024/25 enrolment is the 25 May 2024.

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.

HOW WILL MY DAUGHTER’S LESSONS BE MANAGED WHILST SHE IS IN DOWNE HOUSE SAUVETERRE IN FRANCE?

Please register your daughter in the usual way at the beginning of the academic year. Lower Fourth pupils do not have Speech and Drama lessons while in France. Lessons will recommence on their return.

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.

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

Mr Rob Castell

Head of Drama Enrichment

Email: castellr@downehouse.net

Terms and Conditions

Extra-curricular Drama lessons are available to all year groups and refer to the Trinity Speech and Drama 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)

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 Drama lessons. In order to cease lessons a full half term’s notice is required, in writing, to Mr Rob Castell, Head of Drama Enrichment (castellr@downehouse.net) by the dates listed below.

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 2024: Friday 11 October 2024

End of the Lent half term 2025: Thursday 12 December 2024

End of the Lent term 2025: Friday 7 February 2025

End of the Summer half term 2025: Friday 21 March 2025

End of the Summer term 2025: Friday 23 May 2025

End of the Michaelmas half term 2025: Wednesday 2 July 2025

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 Mr Rob Castell.

UPPER FIFTH GIRLS ON STUDY LEAVE

Girls who are not participating in 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 Mr Rob Castell before study leave commences. Extra-curricular lessons will re-commence for girls in September unless notice is given on or before Friday 23 May 2025.

LOWER FOURTH GIRLS IN FRANCE

Lessons are deferred for a term without charge. Extra-curricular Drama lessons re-commence on return unless a half term’s notice prior to their departure has been received by the deadlines set out above.

DIGITAL EXAMS

Occasionally it may not be possible for students to attend the scheduled face-to-face examinations at School. Should this situation arise, students will be given the opportunity to take a digital examination instead. For Communication Skills these examinations are conducted live via Zoom or Teams. For all other Trinity specifications these examinations are pre-recorded.