UPPER PRIMARY
(9-11 YEARS)
Our Upper Primary is ready for more challenges, and we’re ready to meet them there! Our Upper Primary programme encourages children to take ownership of their voice, creativity, and their role in a team. It’s where confidence moves from developing to thriving.
Our classes run in line with local school terms, typically over 12 weeks. Fees are paid per term, and students are welcome to join at any point in the year.
WANT TO SEE IF IT’S THE RIGHT FIT?
Try our two-week trial. If your child joins for the full term, we’ll deduct the trial fee from your total cost.
PARENTS LOVE OUR UPPER PRIMARY CLASSES
Because students become confident communicators. Our programme nurtures creativity, teamwork, and leadership, with progress parents can see.
CORE SKILLS:
Learning how to present themselves in front of a group, resilience, and managing nerves.
CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE:
Communication styles including public speaking, vocal projection, and empathy in performance.
CONFIDENCE IN ACTION:
Creativity that involves structuring stories, building complex characters, and making creative decisions.
THE LEARNING JOURNEY
It all starts with supporting students as they grow to be expressive, confident performers, developing vocal clarity. By exploring communication styles and stepping into different personas.
We begin in the autumn term and develop key skills across the year, including character development, and collaborative performance. At the end of the summer term, students showcase their progress in a final performance for family and friends.
Here’s what the journey looks like, from autumn to summer.
We build the foundations of confident speaking and expressive storytelling. Students learn to use their voice, imagination, and emotions to bring characters and ideas to life.
DEVELOPING CORE SKILLS
- Speaking with clarity and confidence
- Emotional expression and self-awareness
- Exploring character and story structure
IN THE CLASSROOM
- Advanced improvisation and character-building
- Speech games focused on projection and articulation
- Freeze frames, story-mapping, and scripted scenes
- Leadership through group tasks and active listening
- Exploring emotion and tone through movement and speech
CONFIDENCE IN ACTION
- Sharing monologues or original characters
- Leading small group activities
- Presenting creative work to peers or parents
END OF TERM: CHILDREN BEGIN VOLUNTEERING IDEAS, SPEAKING CLEARLY IN FRONT OF OTHERS, AND STEPPING INTO ROLES WITH GROWING CONFIDENCE.
With stronger skills in place, students begin working more closely in groups, refining how they listen, respond, and create together through scenes, scripts, and improvisation.
DEVELOPING CORE SKILLS
- Structuring and delivering strong stories
- Adapting body and voice for different roles
- Collaborating with creativity and confidence
IN THE CLASSROOM
- Scripted scenes and student-devised content
- Status and role-reversal games
- Debate-style speaking and persuasive delivery
- Collaborative story creation and planning
CONFIDENCE IN ACTION
- Performing with purpose and emotional tone
- Contributing creatively in team settings
- Giving and receiving feedback
END OF TERM: CHILDREN ARE BUILDING CHARACTERS, SOLVING CREATIVE CHALLENGES, AND TAKING PRIDE IN WHAT THEY BRING TO THE GROUP.
In the final term, students put their learning into action as they rehearse for a live production. It’s a chance to take pride in their progress and perform with clarity, teamwork, and confidence.
DEVELOPING CORE SKILLS
- Presence and performance discipline
- Ensemble teamwork and mutual trust
- Confidence under pressure
IN THE CLASSROOM
- Rehearsing a full scripted production
- Blocking, lines, movement, and ensemble timing
- Voice and character refinement
- Learning how to stay focused and motivated
CONFIDENCE IN ACTION
- Delivering clear, expressive performances
- Supporting others and leading by example
- Showing independence and self-belief on stage
END OF TERM: CHILDREN PERFORM WITH PURPOSE, CONTRIBUTE TO A FULL PRODUCTION, AND SHOW THE CONFIDENCE TO SPEAK UP AND LEAD IN ANY SETTING.
Benefits of our Programme
In 1979 Helen O’Grady, a trained drama teacher and actress, recognised a need for individuals to develop their confidence and self-esteem and to improve their verbal communication skills.
Now, many years later, when we all rely so much on technology and communicate mostly through messages, emails and social media, that need has never been greater.
Our fun-packed lessons, for all age groups, instil the beauty of the spoken word. They enable people to have something to say, the confidence to say it and the creativity to make it interesting.
Ongoing attendance in the program develops individuals at their own rate, in so many ways and allows them to carry their new found skills seamlessly into ‘real life’. There is no doubt it is the confident, well-spoken and interesting candidate who will impress the panel/ the interviewers/ the audience. These are skills which can be learnt and learnt while having fun and making new friends.
