lamda sessions and exams
We are delighted to announce that Stagecoach Faringdon and Royal Wootton Bassett will continue to work alongside LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) this Spring Term 2022 (January to April)
Who is lamda?
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is one of the UK's oldest Drama Schools. LAMDA accredited exams are highly prestigious and can count towards UCAS points (from Grade 6 and above) when applying to universities and colleges. These exams are a fantastic way to improve students confidence as well as expanding their skill set.
hOW DOES IT WORK?
LAMDA is a great opportunity for your child to have one to one coaching during term time in the lead up to an examination.
LAMDA students will recieve eight 30 minute sessions of tutoring in the weeks preceding the exam. We are continuing LAMDA sessions with students from Zoom this term with either Kirsty or Alex. It has worked so perfectly for students over lockdown and throughout the past 2 terms. We have had a lot of success with doing it in this way with 100% of our students last term passing with Distinctions which was the best set of results we have ever had. It's designed almost perfectly for one-to-one classes. We have also found that it allows students to focus on LAMDA in the midweek and then focus on Stagecoach at the weekends.
The exam will still be in person at the Public Exam Centre in Swindon on either Friday 25th or Saturday 26th March and we will still be carrying out mock exams face-to-face the week before the exam. This way, students still get the chance to perform and rehearse their pieces in front of an 'examiner audience' before their exam in person
Examinations will be over a weekend at our LAMDA Exam Centre in Swindon. We will know the weekend exam dates in advance, but we will not know the exact day (either Friday or Saturday) or exact time until two weeks before the exam. Please note it will be your responsibility to get your child to and from their exam in Swindon.
If you would like your child to take an exam, they must be able to make all 8 tutor sessions and the exam dates.
LAMDA exams are a recognized qualification and will count towards UCAS points (From Grade 6 and above) when your children apply for University and are a fabulous thing to have on your CV, especially if you want to further any Performing Arts training at any point in the future.
I have taken a moment to put myself in your shoes and answer some of the questions we thought you may have:
How long does it take to achieve a grade and how many grades can we do a year?
In most cases it takes one term to prepare and complete the exam. We usually recommend no more than 2 exams a year. Medal Grades (Bronze, Silver and Gold) are recommended to be taken over 2 terms.
What are the fees?
The fees for the LAMDA exam and individual tutor sessions with our LAMDA teacher are detailed below. If your child has not done LAMDA before then our LAMDA teacher will use the first session to asses which grade they will be working on, many of them will take Entry Level or Grade 1 (depending on their age).
Entry Level £199
Grade 1 £206
Grade 2 £208
Grade 3 £212
Grade 4 £221
Grade 5 £226
Medal Grades (6,7 and 8) available upon request as they are taken over 2 terms.
To secure your place, a £70 non-refundable deposit is payable by Saturday 8th January, with the remaining balance due before Saturday 5th February. Please note however if the last couple of terms are to go by, LAMDA has been so popular we have required a deposit sooner. I am happy to take payment in two or three instalments if you would prefer, as long as it is all paid before Saturday 5th February
Please note this fee would only be once a year (if you wanted to continue each year) and is in addition to your Stagecoach fees.
How old do you have to be to take LAMDA?
We do recommend that the student is 7+ as we feel its a big commitment for any young individual learning lines, gaining the understanding of the text and preparing for an exam.
When and where are exams held?
The exam dates are Friday 25th or Saturday 26th March.
Swindon LAMDA Examining Centre
Bath Road Melodist Church
16 Bath Road
Swindon
SN1 4BA
Once your specific exams time has been issued they cannot be changed – Once again your specific time slot will not be confirmed until 2 weeks prior to the exam, so you will need to keep those two days fairly free.
How long does the exam take?
10/15 Minutes for Grades Entry- Grade 3. Grade 4-5 take around 20 minutes and medal grades take 30 minutes +.
i'm interested! HOW DO I SIGN UP?
If you are interested or have any questions please fill in the google form below and we will get back to you. There are very limited places available and we will give sessions out on a first come first serve basis.
Please find below some information from LAMDA Academy about the aims and possible reasons for taking the Drama Examinations. If you would to visit the website then click here.
LAMDA'S mission is to:
Improve standards in communication through the spoken word
Foster an appreciation of literature and Drama
Acknowledge levels of achievement
Provide a framework in which individual talent can grow
Support the creative, intellectual and social development of the individual as a whole
Why take LAMDA examinations:
Unlock the imagination
Develop communication skills
Refine technical artistry
Build confidence
The examination itself provides candidates with an opportunity to:
Measure progress against an internationally applied standard
Make contact with expert assessors outside the immediate teaching environment
Recieve critical appraisal and guidance for future development
Build self confidence and self esteem
Acquire skill certification
Recieve a record of personal achievement
Children will have the opportunity to study for either the Acting Syllabus or the Verse and Prose Examinations.
We are proud as a school to say we have an 100% PASS rate with the majority of our students achieving above and beyond with Merits and Distinctions!
