Creativity & Performing Arts

Preparing for a performance develops children’s creativity and self-confidence. It also allows children to practise rigour and self-discipline, and teaches them to work together. Music, dance and drama offer children, particularly those who are shy, an opportunity to show off their gifts and to alter perceptions about themselves. Performance therefore plays an important role in the life of our school, as do other creative pursuits.

We believe that learning to communicate is a fundamental part of education. All Gateway children have the opportunity to display their talents at the annual Inter-House Poetry, Writing and Art Competitions. The House Poetry experience, in particular, instils in our pupils a love of literature as well building confidence in public speaking.

Children can also perform in two musical productions each year, with those not performing on stage responsible for stage management and props. In Summer Term, all Year 6 children are involved in a large scale ‘all-singing-and-dancing’ production and recent shows have included Rats!The Musical, Midsummer Nights Dream, Bugsy Malone and The Factory Children.

The school also has a strong orchestra, ensembles for recorder and guitar, a choir, and a popular Rock Club which performs at the school fete in summer term. Music teachers offer individual weekly tuition for singing and a wide variety of instruments including violin, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, cornet, trumpet, trombone, French horn, classical guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar and piano.