issue two autumn 2008

Supporting gifted and talented children

Dramatic ability! It’s tempting to think that What does the
talented pupils in drama are those who can act subject leader need
to consider?
convincingly. Jonothan Neelands offers us some Talented work beyond the
alternative indicators, and then a series of key classroom
Many pupils with talent as
stage 2 activities which allow all those talents to
actors, writers and directors
shine. attend drama groups out of
How do we recognise more able school and some take graded
children in drama? tests. It can be difficult to
• Pupils with high levels of personal, social and emotional respond to their specialised
intelligence who are gifted in understanding human needs within the busy school
behaviour and how to lead and contribute to groups day, and you may need to
effectively. give them access to local
• Pupils who are gifted in literacy and the humanities who specialist and advanced
are interested in language, literature, cultural learning, training. However, the school could provide:
philosophy and history – these often make up the • extra-curricular drama clubs and performances
content of drama. • regular theatre visits
• Pupils who use their voices and bodies convincingly and • visits and workshops from artists, theatre companies
‘naturally’ to convey a wide range of characters and and older drama students
emotions. • information about local youth theatres and events for
• Talented writers with an interest in scripting dramas. families at the local theatre.
• Pupils who are gifted users of IT and other technologies
who may be designers, sound and lighting experts or What does the class teacher need to
can incorporate new media into performances. consider?
Are the tasks sufficiently challenging?
Giftedness is associated with high levels of motivation,
and able pupils tend to thrive on learning and developing
their expertise. They can be asked to do tasks on behalf of
the group, to research, to write a script or other text for
use in drama, to make a prop or picture, to create a ‘diary’
or ‘letters’ belonging to a character. They may take
responsibility for sound or lights, or for making a CD of
images and sounds for drama.

Are there modelling and mentoring

opportunities?
In drama we need to make best use of children’s gifts and
find opportunities for all children to make, perform and
respond to their full potential. We can use the skills of
talented pupils, and help to develop their social
responsibility, by asking them to:
• scribe for others in the group
• work bilingually with a new pupil
• chair a discussion
• be responsible for feedback or summarising a group’s
work
• describe what they see and experience in drama
• lead parts of drama and rehearse moral and social
leadership in real world situations.
Conquering the conquerors
This key stage 2 lesson,
based on David McKee’s
The Conquerors1,
demonstrates how you can
use differentiation in
drama to meet the needs
of talented children. The
story is about a general
and his army who have
conquered all neighbouring
countries except one small,
peaceful country. The small country welcomes the
conquerors, who become accepted and are themselves
conquered by kindness as they gradually adopt the
peaceful country’s customs and culture themselves.
Rationale This drama will help develop speaking and
listening skills and enable the exploration of complex
issues relevant in multi-faith schools.
Starter task: Follow my leader
Begin by playing ‘follow my leader’, and then steer it
towards the movements and actions of soldiers: marching,
halting, saluting, shouldering arms, etc. Gradually, the
children form into ranks behind you. Shift from game into
drama by ‘halting’ the troops, standing them to attention
and speaking to them as the general. Remind them that
they are the best army and tomorrow they will conquer
another country. Still in role, ask them what preparations
they will need to make and send them off to do their
allocated tasks. Then call them back, debrief them, and
send them to their tents to sleep. The ‘soldiers’ settle
down to sleep under the stars.
Extension
This activity is fun but relates to the serious business of
war. Talented pupils could reflect aloud in role what it
means to be a soldier, what anxieties they have, what
their concerns are before a battle. This will stretch the
most able and build other children’s belief in and
understanding of their roles.
Task 2: The General’s Parade
Look at the two pictures in the book: firstly, of the General
leading a parade of soldiers and the cannon past smiling
crowds in his own country, and secondly of a violent,
bloody battle. For each, read aloud from the text:
‘There was once a large country that was ruled by a
general. The people believed that their way of life was
the best. They had a strong army, and they had the
cannon. From time to time the General would take his
army and attack a nearby country. “It’s for their own
good,” he said. “So they can be like us”.’
‘The other countries resisted – but, in the end, they were
always conquered.’
Extension
Talented pupils lead a discussion based on the
questions:
• What can we tell about the general and his people
from each of these pictures?
• What emotions are expressed and why might that be?
Task 3: Meeting the Mayor
Read aloud from the text:
‘Eventually the general ... ’.
Ask the class to imagine how the people of the small
country might react to invasion. Call a meeting of the
people with the Teacher-in-role (TiR) as Mayor – he has
heard the general is coming, he doesn’t know what they
should do, and there is no army and not much time to act.
Invite the rest of the class Extension
to be people in the village. TiR can stimulate children’s use of persuasive
First discuss what types of speech, e.g. TiR as Mayor can target a talented
people might attend the child: ‘If you are confident this village can sustain
meeting and how they an attack from the soldiers, persuade these
might react to the Mayor’s people [the rest of the class, who are cowering
speech. In role, the villagers in corners, or covering their heads in fear] to
explore their options in the join you in defeating the General’s army. Prove
light of imminent invasion. yourself and convince us we can win.’
 Task 5: Thought tracks
Select individuals to ‘thought track’, focusing on their
private thoughts in response to the conversation they
have had. For example, a soldier might not trust a villager:
‘I do not trust this man who appears to come in peace.’

Extension
The ‘thought tracking’ task can be made more complex
through teacher instructions, e.g. asking children to
consider the length and detail of their response and
how the ‘thoughts’ are delivered orally, i.e. give thought
to pace/pitch/tone and accent.

Task 6: Living in peace

Read aloud from the text:

‘The soldiers talked with the people, played their

games, listened to their stories, joined in their songs,
and laughed at their jokes.’

Ask groups to consider what the soldiers might have

learnt from lodging with families in the village. Each group
Task 4: Talking pictures creates three short scenes (a week, six months, a year)
Read aloud from the text: showing how the soldiers learnt to live peacefully with
villagers and what they might have learnt about their
‘The Small Country surprised the General. It had no culture, e.g. a new game, story, cooking, meeting relatives.
army and offered no resistance. Instead, the people
greeted the soldiers as if they were welcome guests. The Extension
General installed himself in the most comfortable house More able pupils might become directors and project
while the soldiers lodged with families.’ managers for the group work – guiding decision
making, helping the group shape their ideas into a
Together, the class make a tableau illustrating the villagers scene showing how the attitudes of the villagers and
talking to and welcoming the soldiers. Children take up soldiers changed over time.
positions as villagers or soldiers (this could be done in
pairs). When every pupil has entered the picture, they are
asked to improvise conversations between villagers and
soldiers. Once groups have had the opportunity to
rehearse their conversation, all listen to bits of each
conversation in turn, maybe by you clicking your fingers
over a group to start and to stop each conversation.

Extension
Target able pupils for reflective thinking:
• Why might the villagers be welcoming?
• Will the soldiers be suspicious of the welcome?
They can select and summarise the range of thoughts
and feelings they have heard. This challenges the most
able, whilst contributing to every child’s belief in and
understanding of the situation

Professor Jonothan Neelands is a National Teaching Fellow

and Chair of Drama and Theatre Education in the Institute of
Education at the University of Warwick.

1
David McKee (2004) The Conquerors. London: Andersen
Press Ltd, ISBN 978-1-84270-468-4.
 National Drama, in partnership
Drama news with the RSC and NATE
National Drama, in partnership D4LC
Shakespeare in the Classroom
Stratford upon Avon, 24 October 2008
with local authorities and schools
National Drama’s sustained partnership with local authorities
brings high quality, specialist National Drama practitioners and
consultants to work alongside local primary teachers and drama
specialists. An outstanding example of this is Drama for Learning
and Creativity (D4LC), through which National Drama has
engaged with 150 Norfolk schools over a three-year period. D4LC
is now rolling out nationally and internationally. For further
information visit www.d4lc.org and register your interest or e-
mail the National Director, Patrice Baldwin
(patrice.baldwin@nationaldrama.co.uk).

The D4LC website provides:

• information about D4LC
• teachers lesson plans, free to
download
• an online forum open to all
teachers
• D4LC publication information and
order form
• messages of support from drama
champions and key agencies.
Don’t miss an opportunity to work with National Drama, NATE
and the RSC all on one day! Workshops on Romeo and Juliet,
Young Gifted and Talented Macbeth and Hamlet and an opportunity to see David Tennant in
The Creative Generation website Hamlet. Price £150.00 (excludes supper and Hamlet ticket) or
(www.creativegeneration.org.uk/ £200.00 (includes supper and Hamlet ticket). For more
PDF/drama_guidance.pdf) now offers information call 01789 272520 or e-mail education@rsc.org.uk;
guidance for drama with gifted and book via Box Office on 0844 800 1114.
talented pupils, as well as exemplar
drama-related projects and practice.
Globe Education
Globe Education at Shakespeare’s Globe offer half- and full-day
National Drama is the leading UK subject association for programmes for key stage 2 children. Call Globe Education on 020
drama and theatre educators. Members include both specialist 7902 1433 for more details or visit the website
and non-specialist drama teachers working in all types of (www.shakespeares-globe.org/globeeducation/schools/key
educational settings. Our work includes: stage2).
• advising and supporting members
• representing the interests of drama and theatre educators
• offering INSET, CPD, Conference opportunities with reduced
fees for members
• a twice-yearly journal, DRAMA (free
to members; non-members may
subscribe at
www.dramamagazine.co.uk)
• supporting drama research
• providing an online research journal
• enabling regional, national and The National Theatre offers a range of work for primary schools
international networking. with a focus on commissioning and programming top-quality
For more information and to join online theatre and storytelling, supported by in-school education
visit our website. programmes. For more information visit
www.national theatre.org.uk/education.
National Drama
West Barn, Church Farm
Happisburgh
Norwich
Norfolk NR12 0QY
tel 07909 886084
www.nationaldrama.co.uk
This pamphlet is part of Issue two of Primary Subjects, published by CfSA.
Unless otherwise indicated, the content is copyright free for use within your educational establishment.