Performing workshop with Waltham Toll Bar Academy

Children in Year 3 visited Waltham Toll Bar Academy for a workshop morning of singing and dancing.

Students at Waltham Toll Bar Academy are performing Matilda: The Musical as their school production later this year at Parkway Cinema in Cleethorpes and invited the pupils at Reynolds Academy to join them for a Performing Arts workshop.

The morning began with special performances from Waltham Toll Bar Academy and Toll Bar Sixth Form students.

Music Curriculum Leader, James Longden then taught Reynolds Academy pupils the melody and lyrics to ‘Revolting Children’ from the musical. Many of the students knew the words already, being fans of the recent movie adaptation of the same musical.

Following this, Co-Director of Arts and Head of Drama, Gemma Carter then taught them the dance moves to this part of the musical. They were taught each step and kept up brilliantly.

Mrs Carter said: “I was very impressed with the confidence that Year 3 had with us. It was clear that a lot of them already had a fondness for the musical, which was great to see with them really getting into the singing and learning the dance moves.”

The children were then encouraged to get into groups and acted out a scene from the stage show with help from Waltham Toll Bar Academy students.

They were then able to perform their rehearsed scenes for everyone and performed their practiced song of ‘Revolting Children’ that they had prepared earlier in the day for the Waltham Toll Bar Academy students who will perform it themselves in June this year.

Year 3 Teacher at Reynolds Academy, Victoria Edwards said: “The children were so engaged with the activities and it was wonderful to see that so many who are usually quite shy and reserved came right out of their shell and got stuck into the workshops.”

Principal of Reynolds Academy, Rebecca Scott said: “We are so grateful to Waltham Toll Bar Academy for inviting us to the workshop morning. The children were so full of energy when they returned to school and the enthusiasm, they had was lovely to see.

We hope to see more collaborations with our local secondary schools in the future as the children are always so inspired by the older students and look up to them for guidance.”