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Training: Schools and teaching

Key stages

Schools group children by age in key stages, which contain a number of year groups.

EYFS - Early Years Foundation Stage

  • Nursery - aged 3-4

  • Reception - ages 4-5

KS1 - Key Stage 1 (sometimes called Infants)

  • Year 1 - ages 5-6

  • Year 2 - ages 6-7

KS2 - Key Stage 2 (sometimes called Juniors)

  • Year 3 - ages 7-8

  • Year 4 - ages 8-9

  • Year 5 - ages 9-10

  • Year 6 - ages 10-11

School Types

  • Infant School = Reception and KS1

  • Junior School = KS2

  • Primary School = Reception, KS1 and KS2

  • Many infant schools and primary schools have nursery children, but not all do.

Teaching Tips

Practical things

  • Always take DBS and photo ID (like driving license) with you. Keep a scan or photo of them on your phone so you have an emailable copy just in case you forget!

  • Arrive at the school at least 30 minutes before start time. If you are going to be late call the school, as they are expecting you 30mins before.

  • Always allow time for traffic, if need be travel before busy period and have coffee near school.

  • Once at school, double check your timetable with the school, make sure you have the correct info for which workshops to do with which year groups and what order year groups are coming in.

  • Set up equipment and hide away any bags, coats etc, so area is tidy and neat. Make sure you have easy access to your MP3 or other music devise and speaker.

Teaching

  • Engage with the teachers and get them on side. The more they join in the easier it is for the children and you.

  • Always be prepared. Know your stuff 100% or the children will see through it and be harder to control. They feed off your energy.

  • Use vocal speed, levels and dynamics to control children and also to make it exciting.

  • Manage behaviour - Set your expectations at the start of the session e.g. asking for them to listen when you are talking etc.

  • Use the teaching staff in the room to address any persistent disruptive behaviour.

  • Talk to children about what it means to act. Using their imaginations to pretend and play. Using your imagination encourages them to use theirs (Set them scene, embers them in the world of the story/book/theme.)

  • Use a control command (A character or line from workshop used to grab groups attention.)

  • Give them time limits e.g. 10 seconds to get into to position etc. 

  • Manage the flow and energy of your session. After a high energy or exciting exercise slow the pace down and bring the energy of the group back to a calmer level.

  • Be aware and work with the group infant of you. Adjust delivery and/or simplify exercises/choreography

  • Where time and situation allows, end the session by doing a simple breathing exercise to calm the children down.