One of the greatest opportunities that a Prep School education can give to all children and young people is the experience of public performance. Whether this is the leading role of Seymour in the musical Little Shop of Horrors; the donkey in the Early Years nativity play; a finalist in the Public Speaking Competition; lead violist in the school orchestral concert or a nervous first solo performance on the French Horn in the winter concert series, this is what Winchester House is providing this year and every year for all our pupils.
Of course, not every Winchester House pupil will go on to star at Stratford on the famous boards or win a Grammy or even earn their living from the performing arts but that does not mean that these experiences are any less essential. At Winchester House ‘We Teach the Future’ and we can be sure that those living as adults in our society in the future will need the skills and confidence that regular high-quality performance in their formative years can give them.
Public performance gives you the inner confidence and poise to be able to stand up, speak out, command a room and present to an audience. It is the same skill used when one of our Year 3 pupils says ‘I would like to play Greensleeves for you’ as they might use in the future when addressing a conference of 300, a rally of 3,000 or an interview panel of three.
These opportunities also give young people the experience of reading a room and responding to an audience and being able to think and be flexible quickly. It also hones their skill of empathy, particularly the ability to see situations and issues from other standpoints during drama of all kinds. We do not know what the future looks like, but we do know that these skills will be vital for both individuals and our society and planet.
Most importantly, however, public performance gives people the confidence that their voice matters, that their voice can be heard and that their voice can make a difference. This is what the future needs and this is why public performance is so important to us at Winchester House, where ‘We Teach the Future’.
Winchester House is an independent day and boarding prep school in Brackley for children aged three to 13 years. To find out more about admissions at or book on to the next Open Morning, visit www.winchester-house.org or email admissions@winchester-house.org
