Junior Pupils: Understanding the Grades & Modules

Junior Pupils: Understanding the Grades & Modules

As children reach Year 3, the programme diversifies and they can start taking  two exams a year in a range of modules. Festivals are still on offer (though  we often recommend performing exam pieces at the festivals, to lighten the  children’s workload), and we again host two in-house showcases a year, for  pupils to perform their exam pieces to a wider audience of proud parents!   

There are the below modules the children can choose from. They are:   

•  Verse and Prose 

•  Reading for Performance 

•  Acting 

•  Public Speaking 

•  For Year 6 only: Shakespeare Level 1 

We recommend children take two modules a year, before moving up a  grade as they move up an academic year. The exams are not compulsory -  but they are good goals for children to work towards. We find the children enjoy the experience of the exam, value the official feedback and are happy to be rewarded for their hard work with a confidence - boosting certificate! 

Verse and Prose  

For Verse and Prose, pupils initially need to learn two poems by heart,  and answer some theory questions. As they advance up the grades, they then need to learn a poem and a book extract, and finally at the top grades  they also need to perform sonnets and sight reading. After they perform their pieces to the  examiner, they answer theory questions, which get increasingly more technically advanced. Verse and Prose is a good structured module, which helps students to build confidence in general and develop an appreciation  of poetry and literature. It compliments their work in the English classroom, and encourages a wider enjoyment of poetry and stories, and is often very useful for school ‘Verse Speaking’ competitions. 

Reading for Performance  

For Reading for Performance, pupils create a presentation based on a theme.  They chose a theme they enjoy – from ‘dinosaurs’, ‘magic’, ‘football’ and ‘family’, to more  advanced themes on ‘war’, ‘sacrifice’, ‘heroism’ etc. At the Entry grade they  choose two poems which fit this theme. From Grade 1, they choose a poem and a book extract, and as they advance up the grades they are required  to perform three pieces, potentially including a dramatic monologue. They  must prepare an introduction, linking statement, and conclusion to outline and discuss their chosen theme, and sight-read their pieces, using lots of eye contact  and expression to engage their audience. This module is again working on  confidence and celebrating poetry and literature. It is also building their speech-writing skills and presentational style. Pupils are encouraged to stage the pieces in an interesting way, bringing drama and performance elements to this exam and we often find the focus of choosing a theme helps encourage independent thinking about what they personally are interested in - fostering wider reading and development. 

Acting  

For the Acting module, pupils at Entry level choose one monologue to act  out to the examiner. This must be learnt and they will need to stage their  scene to show they have created an imaginary world for their character. As  they progress up the grades they will need to learn and perform two pieces,  which increase in length and maturity. This module is great for confidence and  bringing children out of their ‘shell’. 

It helps them to develop characters and enjoy stepping into the shoes of another person. It often gives them a greater understanding of the vocal and facial expression required in performance. It encourages empathy and imagination - and can be great both for children who are naturally dramatic and enjoy performance -but also in encouraging more inhibited children to take chances and embrace the challenge of stepping out of themselves and owning that stage. 

Public Speaking  

For the Public Speaking module, pupils are required to write and present speeches. At each grade level they will be given a different topic for them to prepare and they will need to draft, learn, and present their speech, preferably with a visual aid to enhance their performance. From Grade 4,  they will be required to prepare two speeches, and from grade 6 they will also be asked to prepare an impromptu speech on the day. After they have given their speech, there will be conversation topics for them to  choose, and they will have a discussion with the examiner, where essentially their communication, and indeed interview skills, will be assessed. This module is good for public speaking and communication skills. We work both on how to write and develop speeches, rhetorical devices and how to tailor a speech to a specific audience, as well as presentational skills in delivery. 

Shakespeare Level 1 

The first Shakespeare qualification is available to our Year 6 pupils and is a brilliant introduction to the Bard. For this exam, pupils are required to learn a short monologue from a Shakespeare play and perform this imaginatively with careful attention to the verse and style Shakespeare has used. For the  second half of the exam, pupils are asked to give a comprehensive account  of the chosen play as well as being able to discuss the function and motivation of their character. This is a great module for demystifying Shakespeare at a young age and encouraging pupils to embrace classical literature. It is a fun module for acting students to explore and again complements their English lessons at school.