We are proud to be a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company Associate Schools Programme.
In July 2023, a group of 20 children from KS2 performed 'Twelfth Night' at the North East Regional Shakespeare Festival in Bishop Auckland. They were sterling ambassadors for our school, performing Shakespeare's original text with the addition of a samba band!
In March 2024, a group of 34 children from KS2 will be performing 'Hamlet' at the 2024 Regional Festival. They are currently in rehearsals for this and are looking forward to revealing how they have interpreted the text this year.
A group of children will also be travelling to the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon, to perform 'Hamlet' at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in July 2024. This is a very prestigious invitation that has been extended in recognition of our ongoing work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and we are looking forward to performing at their national schools' festival.
We have begun to include Shakespeare's writing as part of our English curriculum, beginning with Year 1, who will study 'Hamlet' in the Summer term. Over the next two years, we will continue developing our curriculum to ensure that Shakespeare's texts are woven into our text-based writing curriculum, meaning that children will have the opportunity to study a range of Shakespeare's plays throughout their time at our school.