Drama and the Performing Arts at West Sussex independent school Sompting Abbotts
Aims
Working alongside the targets in the National Curriculum, Drama has an important role to play in achieving its aims. We try to inspire in the children a love of Drama and musical theatre. We believe Drama can help students with spoken elements of English study; with expressing themselves and understanding the world; with looking after each other and working as a team – and of course, to have lots of fun and laughter.
Our children's acting and presenting skills are developed through participating in scripted or improvised Drama. Exploring real and imaginary situations help students to understand and share their world. They develop their capacity to enjoy Drama and their knowledge and understanding through evaluating technical aspects and scripts, and commenting on their work and the work of others.
Our approach
All students in Years 3 to 8 receive one lesson of Drama a week. This usually takes place in the Drama Studio. Here, students learn the craft and skills they may need when involved in a school production and to help themselves express their ideas via learning Drama skills. These skills are differentiated according to the age of the class.
Most of our School productions involve all children from Years 5 to 8. It is a long-standing tradition that students in the final year (Year 8) perform the lead roles in that year’s show.
Sompting Abbotts' eclectic mix of past productions
The first modern plays performed at Sompting Abbotts School began in 1991. Over the years, we've staged everything from the classics to the more avant-garde. They have included Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Animal Farm, Bugsy Malone, Guys and Dolls, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Macbeth, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Alice in Wonderland.
In recent years, the school has performed Wind in the Willows, Much Ado About Nothing, Superthunderstingcar: a musical adaptation of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore’s Thunderbirds pastiche and Grease, Jr.
Following our earlier announcement in July of the shortlisted entries for the Independent Schools of the Year 2023 awards, we're delighted Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School has been selected as a Finalist in the Independent School of the Year for Environmental Achievement category.