By practising now at school, many of the hurdles of public speaking and performing, including nerves, can be overcome.
Public Speaking and Debating
Taking part in a debate encourages critical listening, thinking on your feet, the ability to put together a persuasive argument and inspires passion in issues that affect our community and society. As an added bonus, it also increases the skills needed to do really well in the Common Entrance exams. With a little practise we can see pupils’ confidence and presentation skills rocket.
Public speaking is encouraged through an inter-patrol competition and our debating scene includes a debating club (spring and summer terms only) as well as ad hoc debating events throughout the year.
Performing
Children have many chances to perform both informally and formally in front of their peers and parents.
These frequent opportunities give children the sort of exposure that enables them to take any type of public performance in their stride. It is an extremely useful life skill, whichever profession your child eventually pursues.
Some of our less formal performances include:
- Pre-Prep Live: older children from Year 4 upwards visit the Pre-Prep School and play a piece of music for the children. The younger children ask questions about the music and instruments, and the older children play to an interested and captive audience.
- Talks: children in Years 2-4 prepare a talk at home about one of their passions, which they then give to the class. Quite often this involves bringing in the subject such as their pet dog or a collection of fossils.
- Festival of Family Duets and Ensembles: families prepare and play a song or piece of music at this relaxed, supportive and fun event.
- Children organise and put on talent shows, which are usually hilarious and great fun.
More formally, the opportunities for performance include:
- Music concerts: there are many concerts each term from people learning individual instruments as well as concerts involving our musical groups such as Senior Choir, Chapel Choir and Big Band.
- Class assemblies: children present their current topic to parents in assembly with interesting facts, stories, songs and dance.
- Drama productions: we involve all children, as we know that everyone benefits from the experience, including those who find performing more challenging.
- Once a year all Prep School children take part in a poetry recital competition.
- Each week, we ask children to volunteer to do the readings at Chapel Service.