Saint Kentigern students are great communicators and gain enormous benefit from their involvement in speechmaking and the dramatic arts. Each student prepares and performs at both the annual speech and poetry competition, developing writing and delivery skills.
All students from Year 1—8 enjoy a weekly speech and drama lesson as part of the core curriculum. The emphasis is on voice, poetry speaking and individual acting skills. Theatre Sports is offered as a co-curricular activity for Year 7&8 students and friendly competition is held between the Girls’ School and Saint Kentigern College Year 7 & 8 teams.
Oral Assessment Programme
As part of the speech and drama programme we offer students the opportunity to participate in the Oral Assessment programme, run by Speech New Zealand. This programme is available from Year 3-8, and Year 7 students can sit an ‘Introduction to Communicating in Leadership’ oral assessment. This provides sound training for future leadership roles.
Private Speech
Private speech is taught in half-hour lessons and students may attend in small groups or have individual lessons.
These are available for students in Year 4 and above and are tailored to the individual’s needs and areas of interest. These lessons differ from the classroom programme as they allow students to specialise and develop greater depth and confidence in public speaking.
There is also an opportunity for students to sit Trinity College and New Zealand Speech Board examinations in a range of subjects, including speech and drama, public speaking, and group acting.
At Saint Kentigern Girls’ School, the Performing Arts encompass two key subjects: Drama and Music. Weekly lessons provide students with opportunities to learn how to create, design, communicate, and share their imagined and conceptual ideas, emotions, observations, and experiences. Through the Performing Arts, students discover and interpret the world around them.
The Performing Arts entertain, inform, challenge, and encourage responses, enriching our knowledge of ourselves, our communities, world cultures, and histories. They contribute to the development of confident and creative individuals, nurturing and challenging active and informed citizens. Learning is based on cognitive, affective, and sensory/kinesthetic responses to arts practices, with students revisiting increasingly complex content, skills, and processes with developing confidence and sophistication throughout their years of schooling.
Junior School Performing Arts
In our Junior School, weekly music and drama lessons explore the performing arts through practical, play-based learning. Music ignites a passion for singing and rhythmic skills by engaging students in dynamic sessions that encourage expression and exploration. Drama fosters collaboration, confidence, creativity, and empathy by encouraging teamwork, sparking imaginative thinking, and helping students understand different perspectives.
In Year 3, students receive an additional music lesson in violin and recorder as part of the instrumental starters programme. From Year 3 onwards, students can also undertake private itinerant speech and drama lessons to build their confidence and public speaking abilities.
We offer a variety of extracurricular opportunities for Year 2 and up, including Kapa Haka, orchestra, Flora Macdonald Strings, and percussion ensemble. From Year 3 onwards, students can join Vox Box, our junior choir. Through these diverse programs, we empower students to thrive in the performing arts.
Middle School Performing Arts
The Middle School performing arts program nurtures students' growing interests and talents in music and drama. With more structured music education, students refine their skills in rhythm, pitch, and instrumental performance. They can participate in various ensembles, including the school orchestra and choir, providing opportunities to perform and collaborate with peers. Our drama curriculum emphasises more sophisticated techniques in acting, stage presence, and script work, encouraging students to explore diverse roles and narratives. Through these experiences, students gain confidence, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Itinerant music and Speech lessons are available from Year 4 to Year 8. Students are encouraged to showcase their talents through our extensive events and performances calendar, which includes student led assemblies, a bi-annual production and musical and drama performance evenings. These inclusive experiences create a sense of belonging and collaboration within our school community.
Senior School Performing Arts
In the Senior School, students are offered a comprehensive performing arts education that prepares them for advanced study and performance. Our music program offers specialised instruction in a variety of instruments and vocal techniques, with opportunities to join advanced ensembles, bands, and choirs. Students can also participate in a bi-annual production, showcasing their talents in singing, acting, and dancing. The drama curriculum provides in-depth training in performance, directing, and stagecraft, fostering artistic expression and critical thinking. These experiences not only enhance students' technical skills but also build their confidence, leadership, and empathy, preparing them for future artistic endeavours and personal growth.
Our extracurricular activities encompass orchestra, rock bands, Highland Belles, theatre sports, production, and ukulele. Exceptional communicators can benefit from our specialised itinerant drama and speech tuition. Our intermediate students take the lead in our extensive calendar of events and performances, including student-led assemblies and musical and drama evenings. These events are perfect for showcasing developing talent, fostering collaboration, and nurturing a sense of belonging within our school community.
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