New to LAMDA? Here’s how the syllabi work:

Introductory: Stages 1 – 3 for 4 – 7 years

By learning the words of a fun poem students are developing the ability to express themselves clearly while also improving their memorisation and recall. They are also gaining in self-confidence as they talk about their favourite toy, place or book. These conversations encourage them to feel at ease with answering questions, listening and using description.

Once students are 8 or have passed Stage 3 they move onto the other syllabi as below. Students do one subject from each syllabus for each grade – students in year 6 & below do the syllabus advised by their teacher, year 7 & above can choose. Levels are from Entry – Grade 8.

Communication 

Verse & Prose: Students develop a range of skills, from speaking clearly and using voice projection, to improving memorisation and building an understanding of poetry and prose which supports studies in English literature. As they progress through the levels they interact with the texts, responding to them with imagination and using body language and expression to engage an audience. From Level Three (Grades 6-8) they are exploring sonnets, the life and work of William Shakespeare and discussing his influence, as well as discovering the other writers whose works they are performing.

Reading for Performance: Students explore the art of bringing a book to life. They are building performances around themes, selecting texts and forming them into an engaging recital by linking the works with their own words. Their performances are animated and imaginative, and designed to draw in an audience by using movement and vocals to reflect the contrasting text. At Level Three (Grades 6-8), they are using their research skills to prepare their recital, and also responding to texts immediately as they sight-read during their exams.

Speaking in Public: Students write their own speeches, researching the topics, creating visual aids and presenting them from memory. As they progress through the grades they will develop the ability to speak clearly and project their voice for an audience. They’ll discover the techniques they require to engage an audience and to structure their speech effectively. At the higher graders, learners will be asked to create an impromptu speech in the exam with minimal preparation.

Performance 

Acting: Students develop their vocal, physical and interpretive skills while they explore characters and the background of dramatic texts. Alongside producing authentic performances of their chosen scenes, they also gain an understanding of the context and characters within them. They develop clear speaking and character portrayal and an understanding of a playwright’s style, the influence of theatre practitioners and a sensitive appreciation of subtext.

Devising Drama: Students create their own scenes from scratch, creating the characters and writing the scripts themselves. As they progress to the higher grades, they develop an understanding of dramatic structure and staging, using movement and mood, style and space. For Level Three exams (Grades 6-8), students will also perform short improvised scenes – unplanned and unscripted.

Mime: Mime allows us to communicate without using a single word. Through single mimed activities and fully developed scenes, students work on coordination and control, physical awareness and precise movements of their body to articulate emotion and characterisation in their storytelling.They are also creating their own work, expanding their physical theatre skills as they assemble their own scenes. At the higher grades they are also discovering the work of famous mime artists and learning the history of one of theatre’s most influential forms, commedia dell’arte.

Shakespeare 

Though there are 3 levels we mainly do Level 3 Certificate in Shakespeare for Performance with our senior students. Students develop a wide range of skills in performing Shakespeare. They perform from memory one set speech from a play by William Shakespeare in a new context.

PCertLAM 

This qualification is for those students who have taken Grade 8 & want to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of preparing and performing a recital based around a theme. It is also a great option for students to take their acting and performance studies further. It is comprised of two units, a written assessment (Unit One), in the form of a Portfolio of Evidence, and a practical element (Unit Two), in the form of a recital performance. After drawing together their research in the portfolio of evidence, learners are able to demonstrate their technical and interpretive skills as they perform the pieces chosen for their recital.

More information on Lamda exams is available from LAMDA’s website