Is there a reason why we don't have schools like this?

[ShanahansRevenge]

I was wonderinng why there are no arts/perormance based primary schools.

The way you get with secondarys...I dont just mean a school with a strong interest in those things but a specialist school.

Is there some good reson which I can't think of?

I think that by the age of around 7 or 8 you can really see if a child is talented or interested in music, art or drama...but there are no schools which take this into account.

They would not have to drop the important basics at all...but would benefit from focusing on their strengths.

No idea if there is a specific policy on this but our school starting age is so low. If 4 year olds are entering the school, how will you audition them/test their talent? (If as you say you mean a specialist school rather than just one with strong interest in arts/performance).

To select them, you would need to audition/interview beforehand but can you really judge at that age whether they are dc with a special talent for the performing arts IYSWIM? Or would you just have it open for whoever wants to apply and the children are selected by lottery, something like that?

Reason...not reson!

I thought f this because my DD who is 6 gos to a smal prep and there is a strong focus on performance...be it music, drama or dance most kids have a special subject and they are very much encouraged in this.

As a result lots of children leave for secondary having gained scolarhips to the local private school which is an excellent performance based place.

I signed DD up for Drama classes at school...and pay a little extra...not much, I ssumed they would be taught these classes at lunchtime but DD told me this morning that no, she and the other kids doing drama eave the classroom after breaktime and go to drama whilst the rest of the class do something else...so it would seem as though the school is focusing on it..taking it seriously...either that or it's easier? Cheaper for them?

It doesn't' worry me at all....the academic focus in her school is very heavy at times and I think drama classes offer some relief.

What think you?

I think Danzen that it would have to be open...but there are many parents like myself who feel they know their child well by this age...if the child did not grow into a natural though it could causee problems. Maybe it could be done from age 7 upwards...like some prep schools.

Also I don't like the idea of selective schools at such a tender age.

There are some, such as Ravenscourt which goes from age 7. They are private and probably £££££. I think 4 is too early to decide your child should go to drama school personally.

Sylvia Young takes them from ten years old:
www.sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk

Yes twolittelmonkeys so do I....I suggested seven.

harvalp....trouble is it's all Lundin innit?

And ten is barely primary age.

Thankfully primaries are not allowed to be specialist anything unlike secondaries. That doesn't mean that they can't promote particular subjects/ projects/extracurricular activities.

I was just looking at the New Schools' Network and there is just such a school being set up in SE London.

www.shootershillprimaryschoolofarts.com

Not so good to have the words 'of' and 'arts' next to each other though

Five....why thankfully? I hoped to get some reasons from people on here who are qualified...could you elaborate? I have no idea why it's a bad thing as you suggest.

Ooh MmeBlueberry
ShootersHill Primary School O Farts!

Looks bloody great to me! I am up North though.

There are music schools from about 7 or 8, but usually for cathedral choristers. And that's a major commitment, even if the child is very keen on music. I think they'd have to be very careful not to push the children too hard, or encourage them to specialise too much, as the children could easily feel pushed to continue with the specialism even ater they find there are other things they like better. Or just be put off it by the emphasis on that over other things.

You see AMum...why can musical kids have specialist schools but not kids who act or dance well? Seems oddd. Like musicians are more respectable or more accepted in general terms.

Don't put your daughter on the stage Mrs Worthington...oh...unless it's to play the Oboe.

Sounds like a dreadful idea to me TBH. My DD loves drama and has a nice line in comedy but I'd never dream of sending her to a specialist performance school at such a tender age. There are loads of opportunities both within normal schools and externally.

If you want schools focusing on primary aged kids strengths, would you advocate specialist science schools? I suspect not. so why do it for performance which kids with a talent will readily do for fun?

Cathedral schools are a very special case - its forced by nature, boy trebles have to be prepubescent boys.

If we were starting from scratch without a history of church involvement in education, they wouldn't be set up nowadays.

Why do you suspect I would not advocate specialist science schools? I would advocate almost any specialist school for children of primary school age over 7 years old.

Why not? If they have talent it is already showing by then.

Why are Catheral schools a special case? Why cant the choir be trained after school?

Also musical children will also readily do music for fun...why is itok for them to have specialist schools and not young actors?

The musician uses a trombone or a violin or whatever they play as their instrument...an actor, singer or dancer uses their body.

Why are Catheral schools a special case? Why cant the choir be trained after school?

indeed - they are a historical anomaly. The point is that whereas other specialised training doesn't have to start this early, boy trebles are finished at puberty.

7 is far too young to specialise kids. It would be liable to reflect their parents aspirations more than their own true talents or their own desire to nurture a particular talent. A significant number of bright children don't even 'click' with reading properly till this age, impossible to tell where their academic talents lie.

The way that cathedral music schools work, in my experience of exactly 1 of them , is not exactly allowing the children to specialise, but more to add extra time onto the day, and giving them more flexibility to take part in the services. So it's more about logistics than anything else. It would be really tricky for a cathedral choir to work with the children going to a range of local schools, as they need to have practice and services every day (at least most days) and it would be difficult to get all the children there either before or after school if they were coming from different places.

DS had practice every morning before school, and services 4 evenings a week, plus two on Sunday - that kind of tradition could not continue without the school being run in a way which mkes it possible.

Whereas, other music for this age group can be arranged after school or at weekends, as can art, drama, science clubs, and most other activities, even choirs if they meet only once or twice a week.