Students at The Douay Martyrs Catholic Secondary School in Ickenham have used drama to explore some of the biggest issues facing young people today – from bullying and resilience to artificial intelligence.
Year 7 and Year 9 pupils took part in a series of interactive workshops during the school’s enrichment week, bringing together Trafalgar Entertainment’s specialist training division, Trafalgar Education, and its children’s drama education brand, Drama Kids.
The workshops formed part of Drama Kids’ Programme for Schools, which uses drama to help pupils develop communication and confidence while exploring important themes in an age-appropriate and engaging way.
Year 9 students explored bullying and conflict resolution, creating and performing their own scenes, while Year 7 pupils focused on resilience and the transition to secondary school, devising performances offering advice to incoming Year 6 pupils.
Other activities put pupils’ imaginations to work in very different ways. Students reimagined the Greek myth of the Minotaur through performance, while Year 7 pupils were given a distinctly modern fictional mission – stopping AI from taking over the world.
Introducing children to these conversations at a young age can help them begin to develop the skills to navigate challenges as they grow. The Department for Education recognises spoken language as important to children’s cognitive, social and linguistic development, with drama providing opportunities to practise expressing ideas, listening to others and considering different perspectives.
Becky Goodfield, COO of Drama Kids, said:
“The issues children encounter will become more complex as they grow, so there is real value in giving them opportunities to think about things like conflict, resilience and change early on.
“Drama allows them to explore those subjects through situations and characters rather than simply being told how they should respond. They can try out ideas, see a situation from somebody else’s point of view and discover their own voice in the process.
“Those experiences can stay with children far beyond the workshop itself, helping them become more confident in how they approach new situations and interact with the people around them.”
A spokesperson for The Douay Martyrs Catholic Secondary School said: “The workshops were a valuable addition to the school’s enrichment week and received very positive feedback from staff. Pupils responded well to the creative approach, and the sessions were delivered with enthusiasm and professionalism.”
Drama Kids’ Programme for Schools offers curriculum-aligned workshops for early years, primary and secondary settings. Sessions can be tailored to whole year groups, targeted cohorts or smaller intervention groups, and can support areas including PSHE, literacy, anti-bullying, wellbeing and school transition.
For more information about Trafalgar Education and its training programmes, visit the website
