Tips for primary drama teaching: Time for drama!

With at least 10 National Curriculum subjects to cover and the increasing pressures of performativity in UK schools, teachers can be forgiven for not finding time for drama in the classroom. Kevin Holland, Primary PGCE Course lead at the University of Sussex, shares how he ensures trainee teachers understand the value of drama and find time for it in a pressurised time-table.

Before joining the University of Sussex, I worked as a drama practitioner for 15 years, delivering workshops in schools across Sussex. Hall space would be booked for me and I would have the luxury of seeing four groups for one hour each across the day, using drama techniques to approach particular topics and themes. Although this was great to see schools investing in and valuing drama, these programmes were not leading to drama becoming embedded in the school curriculum, they were extra ‘enrichment’ days – something that has become less possible in recent times due to schools' financial constraints.