West End in Schools Blog
Teacher resources and the latest news from West End in Schools.
Even Scrooge would book a panto – here’s why!
A panto can make money for your school.
As an approved supplier of PTA UK we help schools to engage with their community and boost fundraising by providing the key element of a simple formula...
How Roald Dahl inspired me…
Roald Dahl Day is on 13th September and 2016 marks 100 years since his birth!
Now is a great time to inspire yet another generation of children with the wonders of Roald Dahl’s work. Our Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Enormous Crocodile dance workshops are currently ‘flying off the shelf’!
We asked a few of our performers to tell us how Dahl inspires them. Here's what they said...
Why pantomime is like chocolate cake
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Musical theatre to support literacy teaching in primary schools
“I really enjoyed the way they got through a important lesson to us by acting it out, making it fun and letting us join in! Using popular books and well known stories it was amazing for everyone.”
Cerys, Year 4, Archibald First School.
Books take centre stage
00128164I1119114.0Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-GBJAX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}Almost every school does the ‘character costumes for World Book Day’ thing. And we love it! But we also know of some other ways to showcase the brilliance of books in schools…
A day in the life of a 'West End in Schools' performer
Abi Finley, one of our regular West End in Schools performers, tells us about a typical day in her life…and a few more things besides!
Hotham Primary School Q&A
After our performance of Jack and the Beanstalk at Hotham Primary School many of the pupils decided to write to say thank you to our actors Tim and Natalie and to ask us some questions...
Let’s talk about Shakespeare Today!
Thousands of schools, families and organisations take part in Shakespeare Week every year. In 2016 Shakespeare Week celebrates 400 years of Shakespeare’s creative legacy and it looks like it’ll be busier than ever.
The story behind our storyteller Craig Christie | West End in Schools
Craig Christie has written original musical productions for primary schools around the world every year since 1992. His shows have been seen by over 2 million children.
Jack & my lad
When I was invited to watch a West End in Schools pantomime rehearsal in London on an INSET day, it was a great opportunity to have a day out with my son - minus the school holiday crowds.
Let’s Dance!
It’s School Dance Week and our experienced West End professionals have been running dance workshops in primary schools across the country.
Putting the Fun in Fundraising with a School Pantomime!
Every Head and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) wants to encourage the main stakeholders of their school to come in, enjoy time together and build the school community. If this can be done while also raising money for the school, even better!
Broadway World West End Awards - and six West End in Schools actors are nominated!
Congratulations to six of our fabulous actors who have been nominated in the annual Broadway World West End Awards. And there are a couple more nominees who we hope will join us very soon!
INSET days at the London Palladium, Her Majesty's Theatre and Manchester Palace Theatre
We're thrilled to launch our new primary school INSET days backstage in three stunning locations - The Palladium and Manchester Palace are two of the most iconic theatres in the country, and Her Majesty's has been home to Phantom of the Opera since it opened in 1986.
Star Partnerships
We are hungry to form longer term creative partnerships with schools where we can use our West End talent pool to contribute more clearly to measurable outcomes and increasing attainment.
Back to Before Rehearsals
Welcome back! Our cast and creators are thrilled to be back for another school year full of learning, literacy, arts and fun - and so our new literacy musical, Back to Before, is in rehearsals this week!
Teacher Resources - The BFG
While George's Marvellous Medicine features in our new literacy musical Back to Before, we thought we'd give you some suggested teacher resources for another of Roald Dahl's all-time classics, The BFG.
Teacher Resources - The Heart and the Bottle
Another freebie this week! Here are some suggested activities based on Oliver Jeffer's The Heart and the Bottle, which features in our literacy musical What's Your Story?, the last shows of which are fast approaching!
End of Year Show
West End in Schools lead choreographer Mairi Cowieson worked with the children at teachers of KS2 at Berkeley Primary School, Gloucestershire to create an end of year show inspired by Michael Morpurgo's The Butterfly Lion.
Teacher Resources - Where the Wild Things Are
Today, we're giving away a freebie! Here are some suggested activities based on Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are .