The power of performance

Performing on stage can significantly influence a child’s growth and is an important element of the co-curriculum at Pocklington Prep School. The process, from taking on a part in a play or concert to executing the performance and receiving applause and encouraging feedback, provides a valuable learning experience. This journey significantly boosts children’s confidence, self-esteem, and resilience, skills that prove beneficial throughout their lives. 

In this article, Suzy Ward, the Head of Pocklington Prep School, discusses the motivation behind these new initiatives and their important role in child development. 

What can you tell us about the new performance initiatives being introduced at the Prep School?

We have decided to introduce three new concerts in our ‘concert calendar’. These are the ‘Snowdrop Recital’ for instrumentalists in Years 3 to 6 and the ‘Springtime Spectacular’ and ‘Summertime Singalong’ for our Pre-Prep Years.

What inspired this?

The moments when our parents smile the most is when they are watching their child perform in a concert. There is nothing better than seeing your child do something unexpected and brave, showing you a skill that you never knew they had. We wanted to share even more of that with our parents, ensuring that they have even more amazing memories from when their child was at school with us.

What specific skills or qualities do you believe pupils will gain from participating in these performances?

I believe they enhance their ability to captivate an audience and deliver performances that are confident and sometimes even amusing. They develop their organisational skills through memorising script and keeping track of costumes and props. Finally, they build their independence. During plays or concerts, they must remember their cues and actions, which is quite an achievement for anyone under 11 years old!

How do you think these performances will impact the pupils, especially the younger children who are just startin their school journey?

Our children grow in confidence day by day, from day one. This doesn’t happen by accident; we plan as many opportunities as we can for children to build confidence in all areas of life. I feel strongly that performing to an audience on a regular basis allows children to not only build their confidence in what they can do, but also how to handle things that go wrong in quite a public situation. Concerts and performances are always littered with little errors, and this is one way to really build the resilience of our pupils in a safe space. We ensure the performances are enjoyable and that the children are celebrated for their ability to get on stage, rather than necessarily the quality of performance they deliver. It is a holistic approach that builds confidence and enjoyment in harmony with each other.

Can you share any examples of this in action?

I remember one pupil, who has left now, who joined us in Year 4. He was incredibly shy and anxious around his peers and adults. However, he pushed himself to audition for a big part in the Year 6 play and – to everyone’s surprise – got it! His performance was an absolute shining light and changed his peers’ opinion about the sort of person they thought he was. That performance was the start of a love of drama which continues into the Senior School. I still go to watch the plays he is in and remember that shy boy who would never have dreamed he could be so confident.

How do parents play a role in these performances? Why is it so important for them to be actively involved?

Childern adore seeing family members in the audience – the more the merrier. We are a school that values our relationship with families and we love it when the community comes together to support children. What I love to see is parents supporting all the children and congratulating them afterwards. Even more so, when a cohort have been together for several years and their performances still surprise and delight their family – this is something to treasure. That shared experience is invaluable.

What can you tell us about the new performance initiatives being introduced at the Prep School?

We have decided to introduce three new concerts in our ‘concert calendar’. These are the ‘Snowdrop Recital’ for instrumentalists in Years 3 to 6 and the ‘Springtime Spectacular’ and ‘Summertime Singalong’ for our Pre-Prep Years.

How do you see the performance programme aligning with the broader educational goals of the School? How does it complement other aspects of the curriculum?

The performance programme links in well with our aims of developing pupil resilience and independence. Performances are chosen carefully to tie in with the curriculum as far as possible and they also extend our already excellent co-curricular offering. The more pupils enjoy performing, the more likely they are to join one of our performance-focused clubs. By getting even more parents into school we are continuing to build good, trusting relationships. 

Can you share a specific moment or performance that has particularly stood out, in terms of pupil growth or achievement?

There was a time last year during House Music when one of our Year 6 pupils had volunteered to sing a solo. She didn’t have singing lessons and had never volunteered to perform before; she wasn’t even in choir as she had an out-of-school commitment that night. She sang a song from a well-known musical and stunned the audience; she had the most amazing voice and performed like she was on a West End stage. When we contacted her mum, she said she had no idea. Just seeing that this young person had suddenly decided to share her voice with us, to show us what she could really do, was amazing. As staff, we all still talk about it now.

The co-curricular programmes at Pocklington Prep School and Pocklington School encourage pupils to explore and develop new interests and skills all within a supportive, nurturing environment. This approach fosters motivation, resilience and enthusiasm in learners who possess the knowledge and skills to make a difference in the world. These programmes are integral to the Pocklington experience. For more information, click here for Prep School , here for Senior School and here for Sixth Form.