Your LAMDA year at Dr Challoner’s
A term-by-term roadmap of what to expect — from first lesson to exam day.
Every child's journey is a little different, but the shape of the year is the same: explore and choose, build and deepen, then perform with confidence. Here's how it unfolds at Dr Challoner’s High School.
Grade & script selection
- Assessing each student's level and experience
- Selecting the right LAMDA grade for the individual
- Choosing pieces, characters and poets that suit them
Foundation skills
- Building core communication: voice, diction and expression
- Exploring pieces in depth — finding the story and character
- Learning scripts and beginning to make them our own
- Movement, physicality and presence on stage
Performance preparation
- Bringing pieces fully to life
- Polishing delivery, timing and emotional truth
- First confident run-throughs of complete pieces
Second script selection (if required)
- Some grades require two contrasting pieces
- Finding the ideal second piece to complement the first
- Getting to know new characters and texts quickly
Knowledge section
- Understanding Areas, Levels and Semiotics
- Exploring audience, context and performance purpose
- Building exam knowledge alongside practical piece work
- Q&A practice to build confidence and fluency
Building the performance
- Deepening character work and emotional truth
- Strengthening consistency across full run-throughs
- Growing in confidence with every rehearsal
Final polish & refinement
- Fine-tuning every detail to exam standard
- Building stamina and consistency under pressure
- Addressing any last areas for improvement
Mock exam preparation
- Running lessons in full exam conditions
- Practising Q&A and knowledge delivery
- Building exam-day confidence and familiarity
★ Summer exam — June/July ★
- The culmination of a year's hard work and progress
- Held at Dr Challoner’s — date confirmed in the autumn term
Entries close 6 weeks before the exam date.
A confident milestone, never a gamble.
Key dates at Dr Challoner’s
This year's exam date is confirmed early in the autumn term (September–October). I'll be in touch as soon as it's set — and it'll appear here too, so do check back.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Summer exam sitting | June/July — date confirmed in the autumn term |
| Entries close | 6 weeks before the exam date |
Fees at Dr Challoner’s
LAMDA at Dr Challoner’s currently runs as an after-school programme — sessions work a little like a club, with students learning together in groups, which keeps the cost per session lower than a private lesson. Fees are co-ordinated with the school and depend on your child's grade and the size of the group, typically ranging from £7 to £14 per session.
Want the exact fee for your child, or to secure a place? Just ask.
New to LAMDA?
If you're still weighing it up, start here — what LAMDA is, and every reason it's worth it.
Ready to sign up?
Places at Dr Challoner’s are booked through a quick sign-up form — it only takes a couple of minutes. Prefer to chat first? I'm always happy to.