Best Pep School With a Strong Academic and Visual Arts Emphasis

Canny parents demand academically sound schools foster talent in the artistic arts, knowing a fistful of A* grades is not the only criterion for success

Loftier quality grooming and a nurturing atmosphere are crucial if talented pupils are to fulfil their potential. Especially for those who desire pursue a career in one of the highly competitive creative industries.

There take always been specialist schools, such as the Royal Ballet School and Chetham's School of Music, preparing youngsters with a particular talent for the professional ranks. However, growing numbers of skilful mainstream schools recognise the need to diversify and specialise in creative subjects. The event has been an impressive flowering of talent in both ultra-traditional schools like Eton (Eddie Redmayne, Damian Lewis), Harrow (Richard Curtis, Benedict Cumberbatch) and the Dragon prep school (Emma Watson), and in the less orthodox such as Bryanston and Bedales.

Phil Male monarch, Bedales' caput of drama, demands total delivery from his year 10 pupils and upwardly: 'Nosotros desire students creating works of outstanding quality and to start thinking like young theatre-makers. Our teachers have industry feel, and rehearsals are run as if for a professional show,' he explains.

Abbots Bromley School, near Stafford, is famous for its vocational courses in ballet and musical theatre run by director Russell Alkins. Students win places at dance colleges, including the Royal Academy of Trip the light fantastic toe and Bird College of Dance, but they are academically armed for when the dancing career is over.

At Oakham School, Rutland, manager of music Peter Davis'due south composition-teaching course is so successful that his students are amidst the 12 national Royal Opera House fanfare competition winners every year. Organists and choristers at Eton and Winchester regularly win scholarships to Oxbridge colleges. Winchester'south cathedral-standard choir, led past usher and composer Malcolm Archer, broadcasts regularly on the radio.

Bryanston organises over 600 individual music lessons a week. All first yr students receive complimentary lessons in an orchestral instrument.

Hurtwood House

Hurtwood Business firm, a co-ed boarding sixth-class college, has an outstanding artistic and academic reputation which deters few from paying £40,000 pa fees. Teachers are praised past the Proficient Schools Guide equally 'mainly W Stop or media professionals at the top of their game'.

Founding headmaster Richard Jackson says the decision to focus on arts and media makes career sense. 'England is a world-leader in the media industry, and media, TV and movie theater are hungry beasts sucking up fabric, so there are fantastic opportunities for talented people.' Ten per cent of students win places on artistic courses: in fashion, blitheness, fine art and drama schools.

The highly-bookish schoolhouse of King Edward Half-dozen in Birmingham stages professional-level dramas, orchestral concerts and musicals at its state-of the-fine art Ruddock Performing Arts Heart. A talented minority proceed to make a career. Head of drama, old Edwardian, Hannah Proops, an honor-winning designer and puppeteer herself, is not blind to the transferable skills they are also learning. 'The whole experience of theatre is transformative. Whatever career path they take, collaboration, teamwork and the ability to projection and persuade are all valuable skills. They'll never get past an interview relying on brightness lonely.'

Rex Edward Half dozen School

Designer Sebastian Conran attributes much of his success to the opportunities Bryanston gave him to 'tinker' in a workshop in his complimentary time but acknowledges other skills. 'Bryanston imbued me with the ability to think creatively and independently about all challenges, whether professional or personal, scientific or artful,' he says.

Mayhap the secret for parents because the options of a vocational establishment or a mainstream school specialising in creative arts, is to recognise the long-term personal benefits to their artistically inclined child: increased conviction, self-discipline, time direction and teamwork, whether or non they ever dance at Covent Garden, appear at the National Theatre or become on to win an Oscar.

More schools

These independent schools are winning in the artistic stakes.

Alleyn's School

The standards are loftier at Alleyn'south with impressive academic results (92 per cent A* to B at A-level 2016). In sport they spawn champion athletes, have an excellent h2o polo team, a strong CCF and a football team which has won the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) Off-white Play laurels twice. Drama (solid links with the National Youth Theatre) and choral singing are equally encouraged.

Alimni

Jude Constabulary (role player), Florence Welch (musician), Sam Westward (thespian), Julian Glover (actor), Jessie Ware (musician) Peter Darling (choreographer and dancer), David Hemmings (actor)

Bryanston School

Information technology's a laidback organisation at Bryanston (note relaxed polo shirt 'uniform') and it works, but not without clever support and guidance. A vigilant tutoring organization is successful with pupil-tutor pairings and its own app enables parents to monitor a child'due south progress. Drama gets superlative marks, with around xx productions a yr, some al fresco in the Greek theatre. Science and engineering are impressive (ask to run across the Caterham automobile).

Alumni

Sir Terence Conran(designer and restaurateur), Sir Howard Hodgkin(artist), Lucian Freud (creative person), Frederick Sanger (Nobel Prize-winning scientist), Jasper Conran (fashion designer)

Bedales School

The progressive school of Britain nurtures responsibleness, independence and individuality, but nobody's taking any chances with the bookish performance. The school marries iGCSE subjects with its own BAC exams in subjects similar ancient civilisation and theatre, and ten per cent go on to Oxbridge. It is researching teen pedagogy with Harvard and the school puts out x drama productions a year.

Alumni

Lily Allen (singer), Alice Eve (actress), Daniel Twenty-four hour period-Lewis (actor), Cara Delevingne (model), Minnie Commuter (actress), Mary Ann Sieghart (former banana editor of The Times), Jamie Campbell Bower (actor)

Made schools

Nine renowned schools specialising in Music and Dance Excellence (MADE) offering grooming in their specialism along with a strong academic education for boys and girls anile from eight to 19. Mainly boarding, they are chosen through competitive audience.

Chetham's Schoolhouse of Music, Manchester

Britain's largest specialist music school with 290 students.

Elmhurst School for Dance, Birmingham
Associated with the Birmingham Regal Ballet.

The Hammond School, Chester

A performing arts college for pupils aged seven to 19 in music, trip the light fantastic toe and theatre. National Diplomas in Professional Trip the light fantastic toe and Musical Theatre.

Purcell School for Young Musicians, Hertfordshire

Well-nigh of its 180 students keep to study at the Royal Academy or Regal College of Music.

READ MORE: The Best British Schools for Drama/ How Important is a School'due south Music Section?

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Source: https://www.schoolhousemagazine.co.uk/education/best-schools-creative-arts/

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