Performing Arts
Skippers has a thriving Performing Arts Department which offers a wide range of opportunities for children throughout the whole school. Skippers children are encouraged to engage with the Performing Arts as an outlet for their creativity. A number of our pupils have gone on to achieve scholarships in Music, Drama and Dance to their next schools.
Music
Music plays an extremely important part in the life of a Skippers’ child. All classes from Nursery to Year 8 have Music lessons as part of their curriculum.
The Skippers Music curriculum uses singing as it’s focal point and all children learn to express their musicality through songs and musical games. This grounding is used to teach music theory (an understanding of rhythm, pitch and reading music), alongside building knowledge of musical history, composition and listening skills.
There is also a wealth of opportunities for Skippers children to engage with music outside the classroom through organised trips to concerts and workshop days at other institutions. All children have the chance to take part in staged performances annually.
Skippers has a flourishing choir which performs at many occasions every year, both in and out of school. Most recently the choir has performed at community events locally, as well joining thousands of other young musicians to sing at the O2 Arena as part of the Young Voices Concerts.
There are opportunities for children to learn a wide range of musical instruments in one-to-one tuition with peripatetic music teachers, including piano, violin, brass, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, drums, guitar and singing. Children work towards Associated Board Music Exams, scholarships and performance opportunities in and out of school.
The School Orchestra brings our musicians together to rehearse and perform in a group setting. It allows the children to learn about playing in an ensemble and performs regularly throughout the year.
Performance opportunities include termly Performing Arts Evenings, the School Carol Service, Summer Concerts and Prize Giving.
Drama
Pupils from Years 3-8 study Drama as part of the curriculum. All children from Nursery to Year 8 also have the opportunity to perform in productions – see our Photo Gallery for some of the most recent performances. Additional drama workshops run by visiting groups are arranged during the year.
A number of our children opt for additional Speech and Drama lessons, both individually and as groups. They work towards exams on both the LAMDA and Trinity programmes where we have a proven track record of excellence. There have been many successes at the Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead festivals in the disciplines of Verse, Prose Reading, Acting, Shakespeare and Mime.
Skippers has a popular Musical Theatre activity which stages a performance annually. Recent performances include The Lion King and Into The Woods.
Dance
Skippers has an unrivalled offering of dance classes available to children throughout the whole school. These include ballet, tap and Irish dancing. We are very proud that a number of our children have achieved national success in their chosen discipline and currently we have two children ranked in the top five in the country for Irish Dancing.
Peripatetic teachers for Music, Dance and Drama
Abbie Marsden – Singing & Piano
Lucy Moignard – LAMDA, Tap & Irish Dance
Andy Williams – Guitar
Fiona Johnson – Wind Instruments (Saxophone, Clarinet & Flute) & Violin
Mary Pearson – Trinity Drama
Emily Mitchell – Cello & Piano
Caroline Johnson – Piano
Anita Gunn – Ballet
Ollie Green – Drums
