The joy of dance and theatre for children with special educational needs

Pupils at Highgate Hill House School, a co-educational school for children with special educational needs aged 5 to 16 years, near Holsworthy, have recently experienced the joy of theatre and dance thanks to a series of workshops with McQueens Dance and Theatre School.

McQueens are a community interest company (CIC), based in Launceston, who offer acting, dance and theatre workshops with RAD trained and qualified teachers.

The workshops gave the children the opportunity to try on a range of theatrical outfits, experiment with face paints and masks, learn and practice dance routines in small groups, with every class having the opportunity to take part.

Head Teacher, Vicky Percival, said: “The children certainly made the most of the opportunity to get dressed up and express themselves in such a creative way. They haven’t stopped talking about it ever since. It was great to see the staff getting so involved too – I’m not sure who enjoyed the sessions more!”

School founder and Director, Sir Peter Birkett, added: “Dance and movement is a great way to develop children’s social skills, and to think about ways to express their emotions and communicate with each other in a completely different way. I strongly believe that dance can help to motivate and build confidence in young people, hence why as a school, we are currently in the process of securing UNESCO dance school accreditation. Thank you to McQueens Dance and Theatre School for inspiring our children in this way”.

For more information about Highgate Hill House School, please visit www.hhhschool.co.uk, email headteacher@hhhschool.co.uk or call 01288 341998.