Enhance your Child’s Future through Performing Arts

I am thinking of all my students who got their GCSE results today.

I am sure this is a very exciting and nerve-wracking day.

It always saddens me when children, who love the Anna Fiorentini School, stop attending during the summer term because they want to concentrate fully on their exams. It is a known fact that those students who have a creative outlet during this full-on revision period more often than not achieve higher exam results. I guess it is how the human brain is wired.

I recently had to write an article for a magazine about how being involved in the arts can increase a young person’s academic studies and their chances of employment. Have a read:

Give your child the best future possible.

Having your child engage in performing arts will greatly increase their chances of employability, help with their transition from primary to secondary school and enhance their early year’s development.

Most employers now will not only look at what grades have been achieved in academic exams but will also want to see how “rounded” the applicants are. What involvement have they had in team-oriented activities?

As Tim Skeet, managing director of RBS capital markets, said when speaking to The Times, “we need input from people who have left-field, blue-sky creative thinking.”

Drama and creativity in general can broaden a child’s horizons. Not only do they have fun using their imagination, but they are also able to learn vital social and team-building skills.

More often than not, external factors have an impact on a child’s academic progression. A report by the arts education partnership revealed that schoolchildren exposed to drama, music, and dance are often more proficient at reading, writing, and math. Researchers determined that “students who received more arts education did better on standardised tests, improved their social skills, and were more motivated than those who had reduced or no access.”

Numerous reports have found that creative training can help develop skills that translate into other areas of academics. The scientific report, “Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain,” found that “students motivated to practice art form and spent time with focused attention increased the efficiency of their attention network as a whole, even when working in other areas of study—and it improved their fluid IQ scores.”

The Anna Fiorentini School prides itself on enhancing confidence, self-esteem, life skills, aspirations, public speaking, negotiating skills, punctuality, and discipline in its young students.

“I have been passionate about providing arts education to children for over 15 years now because I believe that through the arts we can teach the adults of tomorrow how to communicate effectively, present themselves professionally, and respond appropriately to constructive discipline. I have been told on numerous occasions that students that attend my school have improved greatly in their academic studies as a result.” Anna Fiorentini, principal

Not only are the Arts beneficial for older students about to embark on a life of college and job interviews, but research has shown that early-year development is also crucially affected by the inclusion of constructive play, social development, and awareness of their bodies. Paediatricians, child psychologists, and educational experts all agree that children develop more fully and quickly if music, drama, and dance are integral parts of their upbringing and day-to-day existence.

And then, of course, there is research done that suggests there is a real need to help children develop social and personal skills during the transition from primary to secondary school. Anna Fiorentini’s classes manage to support children during this crucial transition period. Our classes tackle a child’s anxieties and insecurities that could develop long into adulthood if not challenged. Our teachers encourage children to work collaboratively and form sustaining relationships with each other that will help them embrace change. This is essential to a child’s development and supportive of their engagement with their academic studies.

Of course, many of our students have dreams of entering the performing arts industry. And thanks to our agency, several have been fortunate enough to land leading roles in EastEnders, Rev, Top Boy, and on the West End stage, including the Lion King and Oliver! And Matilda, to name but a few. Knowing that certain academic goals at their daytime school have to be achieved before they can go and audition gives them an extra incentive for learning.

However, the majority of our students’ interviews for more mainstream jobs are generally successful because of the confidence they exude and the communication skills they have developed. Being able to network in this day and age when there is so much competition is vital. Skills learned at performing arts school from a young age go a long way towards achieving this vital skill.

“The same principles that help an actor develop a heart-stopping performance can help a job seeker interview with new confidence and new success.” Executive coach Gina Barnett was quoted in Business Insider UK.

To reserve your place on any of our September Taster Days, please visit www.annafiorentini.com.