News Story
Festival Fridays started in 2019 and welcomes 16 Year 5 pupils every year from 8 local primary schools.
Children spend each Friday with our LEAP team here at the theatre instead of going to school - receiving 20% of their learning with us. This fantastic scheme, now into its seventh year, provides an alternative way of learning for those who benefit most from it within our community.
We’re so proud of our previous participants some who have gone on to have roles in CFYT productions, gain distinctions in their final projects and many who feel they have grown in confidence and are able to concentrate better in class.
I have got better at controlling my emotions and Festival Fridays helps because of the people and it’s fun. I am able to stay in class more now and I feel a bit happier in lessons.
Participant
Thank you so much for this amazing experience. We have definitely seen (student) more able to regulate and able to take things at a slightly slower pace.
Headteacher
I think Festival Fridays has reset her approach to learning. Rather than feeling anxious about facing things that she finds hard, Olive is now showing resilience and a confident positive approach to challenges. We have noticed it and her teachers have noticed it too. It’s made such a difference to our whole family.
Parent
Amazing stats from 2025
- 100% of students were awarded distinctions for their LAMDA exams
- 92% of students said they are better at dealing with their problems
- 84% of students said that their concentration had improved in lessons
- 80% of teachers have seen better than expected improvement in children’s Speaking & Listening skills
- 83% of teachers said that students teamwork had improved
- 100% of teachers saw an increase in children’s confidence
- 90% of teachers said that children had become more resilient learners
What happens at Festival Fridays?
Each session begins with breakfast provided by UK Harvest (you don’t normally get that at school!). The group then spend their day taking part in a broad range of subjects including history, art & design, physical education, creative writing, reading and speaking aloud. All sessions are delivered practically and creatively, incorporating drama, storytelling, music, movement and puppetry and the children are also given an opportunity to learn about the many jobs in theatre, prop and costume making.
Their year is packed full of hands-on opportunities around the theatre that children wouldn’t usually have access to, such as interviewing staff, backstage tours, performing in a real theatre and meeting Vikings.
Towards the end of the year, our Festival Fridays group will start working towards their own performance for family and friends to show off all of their hard work and demonstrate the skills they have learnt on and off the stage.
