Case studies

Theatre in Education to boost Year 9 results

Creating enthusiasm for revision sessions

As Key Stage 3 National Curriculum Tests approach, schools invariably become very focused on the requirements of the tests. The challenge, as always, is to present revision sessions in such a way that key teaching points are reinforced effectively, yet pupils retain some enthusiasm for what they are doing.

How the schools got involved

North Lincolnshire LEA has a long tradition of supporting the curriculum through Theatre in Education and has maintained a thriving artists in schools programme. We have established a close relationship with the nationally acclaimed Hull Truck Theatre Company and towards the end of the Spring term had bought in a highly successful schools’ tour of their popular play ‘Bouncers’. In conversation with one of the three actors we learnt that when ‘resting’ in between jobs Jon Adamson works as a drama supply teacher. Here then was an opportunity to ‘commission’ some work tailored to our own schools’ needs.

A number of schools in the authority had bought in theatre companies such as Shakespeare 4 Kidz at the beginning of Year 9 to kick start their work on Shakespeare. They felt that this was worthwhile and certainly helped pupils to become familiar with the plot. Some schools had taken pupils to see productions of the play and everyone had shown at least one video. At the end of April, however, we wanted to bring the text back to life for the pupils and to remind them that this was, after all, theatre, not just a particularly challenging comprehension passage.

Schools were very keen to book the Macbeth workshops. Jon Adamson already had an excellent reputation following the successful Hull Truck tour. The young male represented positive role models for boys in particular and we knew pupils would be excited at the prospect of working with Jon again.