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Performing Arts

School life is packed with creative energy and there are many opportunities for every child to stand out and develop their artistic flair.

Find out more about Performing Arts at Brentwood Prep School and take a look around our Prep Hall in our video below. It's a wonderful open area and the perfect space for performances, featuring a grand stage, seating for up to 480 and a mezzanine floor that provides a bird’s-eye view of our performances.


Drama

Every child takes part in a Drama production each year, ranging from musicals and nativity plays to Shakespeare workshops and Musical Theatre club.

A photo of the prep school students performace of The Lion King

Drama is an important part of the curriculum and is taught to every class by specialist Drama staff in our spacious Drama Studio each week. Regular visits are made to local theatres to see professional actors in action. Many pupils choose to follow the popular courses run by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) lunchtimes and after school. Stage Crazy Theatre School also takes place on Saturdays for students who wish to develop their acting skills further.


Music

The Music Department has its own specialist facilities including a Music classroom, Music Technology Suite and seven Music practice rooms.

All classes have almost one and a half hours of Music lessons each week. In class, pupils take part in a wide range of Music activities, including singing and composing; the Music Technology Suite is also used to teach all pupils how to read and write Music.

There are two orchestras, and all our pupils belong to the Junior or Senior choirs, which rehearse weekly and have performed at the Young Voices concert at the O2 Arena and in the Royal Festival and Royal Albert Halls. Over 100 pupils have individual instrument tuition. By the time they leave the Preparatory School, every child can read and write Music and knows how to use computer-based composition software. We’re proud to have played a small part in former pupil Martin Bartlett’s victory at BBC Young Musician of the Year 2014. 


Junior Guildhall Courses

We are delighted to announce that limited places have become available for the the Junior Guildhall Kindergarten and String Training courses held at Brentwood School. 

Applications open for entry 2023/24 - deadline extended until 1st April

The hugely successful programmes which run at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Junior Guildhall at Brentwood School provide access to outstanding musical training for young children aged 4-11 from Essex and the local region. 

Kindergarten Programme 

This programme provides young children in Reception and Year 1 with their first musical experience, consisting of classes in Kodály and Rhythmics, which are delivered in a friendly, inclusive class setting. 

No prior musical training is necessary to join the Kindergarten programme. Junior Guildhall believe that this age group benefits most from non-instrumental music lessons, with a focus on developing strong foundations in pitch, rhythm, co-ordination, and concentration. Students will take part in games and exercises that encourage musical exploration through movement and singing.  

String Training Programme 

This programme provides young children in Year 2 to Year 6 with their first experience of music making, which includes individual instrumental tuition, ensemble work and Kodály and Rhythmics classes. Following an internal selection process, students in Year 1 of the Kindergarten Course will be invited to continue to Year 2 of the String Training Programme. 

First study instruments available on the String Training Programme are the violin, viola and cello. Piano lessons may be chosen as an extra study subject to availability.

Applications from external applicants will be considered from Year 3 onwards. 

For more information on how to apply for The Kindergarten Programme or the String Training Programme at Brentwood School, please email [email protected].  

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