Infant & Junior School

Infant & Junior School Sport, Music, Dance & Drama

Sport

Sport plays an important part in most girls’ High School experience. All pupils from Reception to Year 6 receive, as part of the curriculum, teaching in basic skills for many major team sports, for dance, problem-solving and for gymnastics. Swimming is taught at a local swimming baths in Year 4. There are also many opportunities for our girls to represent the School in a variety of sports from Year 4 upwards – netball, hockey, rounders, athletics, badminton, gymnastics and swimming, and many pupils progress to represent South Yorkshire. We host two netball tournaments each year for local schools at Under-10 and Under-11. Extra-curricular sport is thriving, with many opportunities for Key Stage 1 pupils to play netball, football, gymnastics, badminton and co-operative team games. Sport is co-ordinated by the Junior School’s specialist Physical Education teacher and some specialist teaching is also delivered by Senior School specialist Physical Education staff. We share the use of the Senior School’s Astroturf pitch, sports hall and gymnasium.

Music

Music lessons are delivered by a specialist Music teacher and all girls receive at least one hour a week as part of their curriculum. Singing and recorder playing form an important part of these lessons, as do studies of various musical styles from around the world, the history of music and electronic music using keyboards and specialist music software. These lessons are delivered in our new Music Studio. Individual tuition is available in piano, violin, ‘cello, brass and woodwind instruments from a team of visiting peripatetic teachers who prepare pupils for Associated Board examinations. There are opportunities for group music-making with recorder ensembles, choirs, wind band and string groups. The older, more accomplished players often join Senior School ensembles. Opportunities for performance range from playing in Junior School assemblies to participation in local music festivals as well as year group concerts and whole school events.

Dance

Dance is taught as part of the Physical Education curriculum from Reception to Year 6. A variety of styles and music is explored, often linking with other curriculum areas, for example History or Religious Education. There are opportunities to participate in extra-curricular dance through Ballet, which is particularly popular with our infant pupils, Line Dancing for Years 5 and 6, as well as some performance dance groups organised by Senior School pupils for our girls.

Drama

Drama forms part of the English curriculum and each class has a timetabled session each week for Drama in the hall in Melbourne House. These sessions are often used to reinforce work from various curriculum areas or as starting activities for creative writing. Role play is a vital part in the Foundation Stage curriculum with a basic ‘play house’ being transformed weekly into other settings to fit in with the weekly focus; the girls love acting out the roles of vets or post office workers, fire fighters or princesses in the castle. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 girls produce nativity plays for the parents each Christmas and there are also chances to perform in class assemblies which are delivered each week to the rest of the Junior Department.

Speech and Drama lessons are also very popular and they are provided (at extra cost) by a specialist teacher who prepares girls for external, graded examinations. There is also an After School Drama Club for girls in Years 4 and they perform a short piece to parents each term. The Junior Department bi-annual play is the highlight of the children’s work in Drama and recent performances have included Bugsy and The Snow Queen.