Performing Arts
Celebrating the Performing Arts at Chadwell Heath Academy
Performing Arts is an exciting part of life at Chadwell Heath Academy. Through Drama and Music, students can perform, create, design, lead and work as a team through school productions, showcases, competitions, theatre visits and workshops. There are opportunities both on stage and behind the scenes, including set design, lighting, sound, stage management, hair and make-up, choreography and front of house. Whether students want to pursue the arts or simply build confidence, creativity and communication skills, there is something for everyone.
Our Productions and Performances
2024 – Grease: The Musical
In 2024, Chadwell Heath Academy staged our production of Grease: The Musical. The production gave students the opportunity to develop their acting, singing and dancing skills while experiencing what it takes to bring a full musical production to the stage. Importantly, the production also created opportunities beyond performing. Students were able to experience the wide range of skills required to create live theatre, from directing and choreography to set, costume, lighting, sound and backstage support.
2024 – Winter Showcase
Our Winter Showcase celebrated the enormous range of talent within Chadwell Heath Academy. The showcase 
gave students the opportunity to present shorter performances and share their individual talents with an audience.
2025 – The Wizard of Oz
In 2025, Performing Arts took on one of our biggest projects yet: The Wizard of Oz. More than 120 students contributed to bringing the production to life, demonstrating that a school production involves far more than the actors seen on stage. Approximately 45 student performers took to the stage, developing their acting, singing, movement and performance skills. More than 30 students helped to design and create the magical set, transforming our performance space into the world of Oz. More than 20 students took on technical and backstage responsibilities, including:
- Stage crew and stagehands
- Lighting
- Sound
- Hair and make-up
- Backstage support
Students also supported front of house, helping to welcome audiences and contribute to the professional atmosphere of the performances. Our Year 12 Pathway students became involved too, designing and creating food and drink for a stall during the performance evenings. The Wizard of Oz therefore became much more than a musical. It was a whole-school creative project where students with very different interests and talents could find a role. Every one of those roles contributed to making the production possible.
House Drama & Music
Performing Arts also plays an important role in our House competitions. Students competed against other forms in our House Drama and Music Competition, with each group challenged to create a short 15-minute performance based around a musical theme. Students had to work collaboratively to develop their ideas, rehearse and create a performance before presenting it to our judging panel. The competition encouraged creativity, teamwork, leadership and friendly competition across the Academy. The winning students earned points towards the House Cup, as well as a well-deserved movie and pizza afternoon!
Coming Next: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 
We are incredibly excited to begin work on our summer production of:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Auditions begin on Tuesday 13 October, and once again this will be much more than an opportunity for actors. Following the scale and success of The Wizard of Oz, we want students from across the Academy to help us create another ambitious production.
There will be opportunities to become involved in:
Acting • Singing • Dance • Set Design • Set Construction • Props • Costumes • Hair & Make-up • Lighting • Sound • Stage Crew • Front of House • Production Support
Year 7 – Shakespeare on the Field
Our Shakespeare on the Field event gives Year 7 students the opportunity to explore Shakespeare in an active, creative and engaging way, taking performance out of the traditional classroom environment and onto the school field. Students work together to bring Shakespeare's characters, stories and language to life through performance, encouraging them to be imaginative, take creative risks and build their confidence.
Shakespeare Schools Festival
For three consecutive years – 2021, 2022 and 2023 – our students participated in the Shakespeare Schools Festival, taking Shakespeare from the classroom onto a professional stage. Across the three years, students worked on different Shakespeare plays, developing their understanding of character, language, storytelling and ensemble performance before performing their work to a live audience. Most importantly, students had the opportunity to experience what it feels like to perform in professional theatre venues, including the Kenneth More Theatre and The Broadway Theatre.
Royal Albert Hall – Redbridge Choral Festival
One particularly memorable opportunity was our singing at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Redbridge Choral Festival bringing together young performers from primary and secondary schools. Performing in one of the country's most famous concert venues gave our students an experience they will remember long after leaving school. Opportunities such as this allow students to experience the scale, discipline and excitement of performing as part of a large ensemble while developing confidence, musicianship and teamwork.
Theatre Experiences
Our Performing Arts students have access to a wide range of theatre trips, professional performances, workshops and cultural experiences. These opportunities allow students to see the work of professional actors, directors, designers, musicians and technicians while making valuable connections between Performing Arts and subjects across the wider curriculum. Our trips are also an important way of celebrating commitment. Students who dedicate their time to school productions and Performing Arts activities have had opportunities to attend special theatre trips as a reward for their hard work.
Lower School
Wicked – The Musical Lower School students visited the West End to experience the spectacular world of Wicked. For some students, opportunities such as this provide their first experience of a major professional musical. Students can see first-hand how acting, live music, choreography, costume, lighting, sound and large-scale set design work together to create a professional theatrical production. The trip also provided inspiration for students involved in our own school productions.
Disney's Hercules – The Musical
Students also had the opportunity to experience Disney's Hercules as a special reward trip for pupils who had committed their time and energy to our school productions.
Noises Off
Lower School students experienced a very different style of theatre through a trip to see Noises Off. The production gave students an opportunity to explore comedy and slapstick theatre.
GCSE & Sixth Form Theatre Experiences
As students progress through the Academy, theatre visits become increasingly connected to their academic studies. Our GCSE and Sixth Form students experience a diverse range of professional theatre, allowing them to analyse performance, direction, design and production while making connections with Drama, English, History, Religious Education, Media and other areas of the curriculum.
Hamilton -Students experienced the internationally successful musical Hamilton, providing opportunities to explore how theatre can reinterpret historical events through performance, music, movement and contemporary theatrical styles. The production creates valuable links between Drama, Music and History, encouraging students to consider how historical figures and events can be represented for modern audiences.
High School Musical - Students attended a production of High School Musical, experiencing a contrasting style of musical theatre.
1536 -Students attended 1536, a play set against the turbulent backdrop of Tudor England and the reign of Henry VIII. The play follows three women whose friendship and lives are affected by the political and religious changes taking place around them. The production creates fascinating cross-curricular connections with History and Religious Education, while also allowing Drama students to consider how playwrights and theatre-makers can use historical events to explore power, gender, friendship, religion and the experiences of ordinary people.
Jaja's African Hair Braiding - Students attended Jaja's African Hair Braiding, a vibrant contemporary play centred around the women working in a Harlem hair-braiding salon. Through the lives and conversations of its characters, the play explores themes including identity, culture, community, belonging, family and immigration.
Noughts & Crosses -Our students have also attended a professional production of Noughts & Crosses, an especially valuable experience because the play forms part of their GCSE Drama set-text study. Noughts & Crosses explores challenging themes including prejudice, discrimination, racism, power, inequality, identity, relationships and social division.
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical - Our visit to Tina – The Tina Turner Musical offered students much more than the opportunity to watch a West End production. Students also participated in a pre-show workshop exploring some of the creative and technical elements involved in bringing a professional musical to the stage.This included considering areas such as set design, costume design and production, helping students understand the enormous range of careers and skills that exist behind the performers seen by an audience.
A Christmas Carol - Students attended a theatrical production of A Christmas Carol, creating a direct connection between Performing Arts and the English curriculum. As the Dickens novella is studied as part of GCSE English Literature, seeing the story interpreted through live theatre gives students another way to engage with its characters, language and themes.
Feel Me – The Paper Birds - GCSE Drama students attended Feel Me by The Paper Birds, providing an important connection to their practical Drama studies.The Paper Birds are a theatre company whose approaches and techniques are explored by our students when studying devising at GCSE Drama.
Exploring Careers at the National Theatre - Our students have also had the opportunity to explore what happens beyond the stage through a National Theatre tour, undertaken alongside the Media Department.
The experience allowed students to discover how a major professional theatre operates and highlighted the enormous range of people required to create, produce, promote and deliver professional theatre.
Celebrating Academic Success
Our students' hard work in the classroom is just as important as their achievements on stage. This year, the Drama Department celebrated fantastic GCSE and BTEC Level 3 results, reflecting the commitment, creativity and hard work of our students. We are particularly proud of our BTEC Level 3 Drama cohort:
100% of the cohort achieved Distinction or Distinction*
Every single student in the cohort achieved one of these top grades, with Distinction equivalent to an A and Distinction* equivalent to an A*.
This fantastic achievement demonstrates the high expectations within Performing Arts at Chadwell Heath Academy and the dedication shown by our students throughout their studies. Alongside developing as performers and creative practitioners, students leave the course with valuable transferable skills and a recognised qualification that can support progression to university, further training, employment within the creative industries and careers beyond the arts. We are incredibly proud of the achievements of the entire cohort and look forward to seeing where their skills and experiences take them next.
Beyond Chadwell Heath Academy
Performing Arts can be the beginning of an exciting journey beyond school.
We are extremely proud to see former Chadwell Heath Academy students continuing to pursue their interests in the creative industries.
Kieron Edwards
Former student Kieron Edwards studied A Level Drama at Chadwell Heath Academy and played a leading role in our production of Grease. Kieron later returned to contribute to the Performing Arts community by co-directing The Wizard of Oz. He is now studying a directing course at university in Manchester, continuing to develop the skills and passion for theatre that he explored during his time at Chadwell Heath Academy.
Skyla Smith
Former student Skyla Smith contributed her talents to Grease by helping to choreograph dance routines for the production. Since leaving Chadwell Heath Academy, Skyla has continued her journey within the performing arts and has performed as part of an ensemble in London's West End.
Where Could Performing Arts Take You?
A common misconception is that studying Drama or Music is only for students who want to become actors or musicians.
In reality, the creative industries offer an enormous variety of career opportunities.
Performance & Creative Careers
Actor • Musician • Singer • Dancer • Musical Theatre Performer • Voice Actor • Composer • Songwriter • Choreographer • Director • Theatre Director • Musical Director • Playwright
Backstage & Technical Careers
Lighting Designer • Lighting Technician • Sound Designer • Sound Engineer • Stage Manager • Deputy Stage Manager • Production Manager • Theatre Technician • Set Designer • Set Builder • Props Designer • Costume Designer • Hair & Make-up Artist
Film, Television & Media Careers
Film Director • Television Director • Producer • Camera Operator • Screenwriter • Editor • Casting Director • Production Designer • Location Manager • Sound Recordist • Content Creator
Music Industry Careers
Music Producer • Recording Engineer • Session Musician • Artist Manager • Live Events Technician • Concert Promoter • Music Marketing • A&R • Music Journalist • Composer for Film, Television and Games
Education, Events & Creative Industries
Drama Teacher • Music Teacher • Workshop Leader • Theatre Practitioner • Arts Administrator • Events Manager • Festival Producer • Community Arts Worker • Theatre Marketing • Public Relations • Creative Producer
Skills for Life
The value of studying Performing Arts extends far beyond careers in theatre and music.
Through Drama and Music, students develop highly transferable skills including:
Confidence • Communication • Creativity • Collaboration • Leadership • Problem-solving • Organisation • Resilience • Independence • Time Management • Critical Thinking • Public Speaking • Working Under Pressure
These are skills valued by universities and employers across a huge range of industries. Taking part in a production also teaches students something that cannot always be replicated in a traditional classroom. They have to arrive prepared, meet deadlines, solve problems, respond to feedback, support their peers and work towards a shared goal.
Whether they eventually pursue Performing Arts or an entirely different profession, these experiences can help prepare students for their future.
Studying Drama and Music at Chadwell Heath Academy
Our BTEC Drama and BTEC Music courses allow students to explore the performing arts in greater depth while developing practical skills and knowledge of the professional industry. Units within the courses introduce students to different aspects of the industry, career pathways and professional working practices, while developing skills that can support progression into higher education and employment.
Students learn how to:
- Collaborate effectively with others
- Communicate ideas
- Meet deadlines
- Respond constructively to feedback
- Analyse and evaluate performance
- Work independently
- Take responsibility within a team
- Develop confidence and presentation skills
These skills are valuable whether students continue into Performing Arts or choose an entirely different career pathway.
Ms A Chekkour & Ms L Kahn
