We are delighted to share that, once again this year, the achievements of Solefield pupils and their teachers have been recognised by the Muddy Stilettos Best Schools Awards as we have been awarded 'Highly Commended', for our DYNAMIC PERFORMING ARTS. We have been recognised as, 'doing something very different and modern in education'.
The contributory factors to this award are:
- At Solefield School, we are committed to making music accessible to students from the earliest opportunity, starting as young as 3 years old.
- We provide the opportunity for group sessions on recorder, violin, melodica, and Ukulele to help foster collaborative learning environments where listening and performance skills are honed.
- All our pupils participate in several performances every year to their parents, peers, staff and governors. This begins in the first few weeks after the children join us with our Little Acorns Pre-School children performing in our Harvest Festival celebration. Each pupil then performs in an annual year group performance ranging from nativity plays in the Pre-Prep to music and drama recitals for Years 3-5, and year group performances in Years 6,7 & 8.
- All our children have one singing and theory lesson per week and another lesson devoted to learning a particular instrument as a class with a specialist teacher. This instrument changes every year.
- We have seen the quality of our choirs, bands and ensembles improve with the increased level of music and drama exposure and increase in music prevalence
- Music, Drama and Art play a key role in our school life with plays, assemblies, concerts, competitions, festivals, Battle of the Bands, Young Voices and staff and parent performances.
- Many of our pupils participate in our school choirs and sing almost every day.
- All students benefit from specialist weekly drama lessons, guided by dedicated teachers who instil a passion for storytelling and performance.
- Over 2 years we continue to have a regular flow of pupils taking LAMDA 1 to 1 lessons. We are a LAMDA exam centre and have had our pupils take over 80 exams with all pupils having achieved Distinction! Click here to watch an impressive silent film by two of our LAMDA students.
- Years 7 and 8 students are given the unique opportunity to prepare for a Drama scholarship within protected curriculum time, reflecting our belief in nurturing talent and ambition. This is irrespective of whether they intend to go on to do a scholarship for senior school.
- In our Music and Drama Recitals, every pupil in the year group does a solo performance whether playing a musical instrument or LAMDA drama piece. Since introducing the latter into our school, pupils that would otherwise not perform a music piece, have had a chance to shine in a dramatic performance setting. It has really increased participation!
- In our visual arts, all pupils have art exhibited in our annual art exhibition. Our wonderful art exhibition can be viewed here.
Solefield School truly provides a platform for every pupil to shine in both performance and dramatic arts.
