The Arts
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Pupils at Francis Holland Prep are encouraged to explore their creativity through the Arts. They participate in a variety of choirs, ensembles, orchestras, theatre performances and art exhibitions. We believe that studying the Arts strengthens girls’ self-confidence, self-discipline and self-expression.
Drama
Drama is a vibrant aspect of life at Francis Holland Prep. Girls from Years 2 – 6 enjoy Drama lessons on a weekly basis as well as abundant opportunities outside of lessons, such as Speech and Drama. Throughout the year there are numerous occasions for the girls to perform on stage and showcase their skills, with our big summer musical performance for Years 3 – 6 and the wonderful Nativity for Reception – Year 2. All of our productions are performed in our spacious School Hall with specialist staging and backstage space. Past productions have included: Seussical, Matilda, Oliver!, Mary Poppins, Aladdin and Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Girls learn empathy and emotional intelligence through Drama whilst developing skills such as creativity, collaboration, and confidence, which will support them in all areas of their learning.
Music
Enter the School on any given day of the week and you will find it positively buzzing with the sound of music, whether it be instrumental lessons, choir or ensembles rehearsing. Music is embedded in every girl’s education at Francis Holland as we help all to achieve their musical potential with a vast array of performance opportunities. We deliver hundreds of individual music lessons a week on a diverse array of instruments and the wide range of ensembles on offer produces confident, inquisitive, imaginative and joyful musicians.
Informal concerts give pupils the opportunity to showcase their progress, whether they are new to their instruments or confidently progressing through the grades. We also have a number of show-stopping musical events throughout the year, including concerts, the Fanny Davies Music Festival and the School Musical, all of which take place in our spacious School Hall.
Art
Through a varied and rich curriculum covering drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles and sculpture, Art at Francis Holland Prep aims to stimulate creativity and imagination. By creating a safe and nurturing environment, we encourage girls to think outside the box, take creative risks and to learn from the journey, rather than focus on the outcome.
The girls benefit from trips to a wide a variety of galleries and museums in Central London and beyond. We have an ongoing collaboration with The Fashion School with girls taking part in weekly lessons. We invite artists specialising in a variety of fields to deliver workshops, enter the girls into exciting local and national art competitions and provide them with the opportunity to exhibit their work in a fabulous art exhibition!
Ballet
Classical ballet forms part of the curriculum in Reception, Year 1, 2 and 3 and is a popular co-curricular activity from Year 4 upwards. Expertly managed by Chelsea Ballet Schools, the aim of ballet within school is to encourage confidence and to nurture a love of classical ballet, its history, traditions and associate arts. Highly trained teachers provide outstanding tuition for pupils who are prepared for Royal Academy of Dance examinations and continue to achieve a 100% success rate.
A number of exceptionally talented pupils have gone on to attend the Royal Ballet School, both in the Associate Programme and as full time pupils. Francis Holland, Sloane Square offers an 11+ classical ballet scholarship to which Prep School girls consistently apply.
