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Drama, dance, music and movement play an important role in the development of every pupil at Cheltenham College Junior School. In Dance lessons, pupils have the choice from an early age of learning ballet, tap, modern or jazz dance with qualified instructors from a local Dance Studio. Jazz dance is an extra from Nursery onwards, and ballet is taken as an out of school activity from Year 3 onwards.

Music and movement play an important part in Drama lessons, particularly for the younger children. Curricular Speech and Drama lessons from Reception onwards include many of the elements further developed in Years 3 and 4 with tableaux, character work and improvisation. Kingfisher productions include a Nativity performance and a Summer show. Years 3 and 4 are the stars of the CCJS pantomime at Christmas and perform a dance at the Summer Dance Showcase ('Hippie, Hippie Shake was great fun last year!)

Drama lessons taught in Years 5 and 6 place an increasing emphasis on speech, improvisation, creative theatrical projects and the interpretation of short texts and passages as well as an introduction to using the sound/lighting/technical equipment . The pupils also learn to gain confidence through the use of theatre and drama ‘games’ which cover all aspects of the Drama curriculum. Year 5s perform a Play-in-a-Day and do a whole-yeargroup show-dance 

As a school, we have several productions a year to which parents are warmly invited. Kingfishers (Nursery Class to Year 2) perform several annual productions including a Nativity play with an original retelling; Lower School (Years 3 and 4) produce a performance in the Winter Term and Middle School (Years 5 and 6) & Upper School (Years 7 and 8) perform productions, either musicals, straight or comic pieces, a couple of times a year. There are also chances for pupils to be involved in the technical side of theatre including sound, lighting, costumes, backstage crafts and special effects.

All these performances draw upon the work done in class and help enhance the children’s confidence. Indeed, this is the core aim of the Drama curriculum for all the pupils, whether they are directly involved in productions or not. 

Finally we also go out and about to see professional productions outside of school, from locally in Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre all the way to London’s West End!

Click through the sections to find out more about all the different things we are involved in.

Jill Douglas, Head of Drama