On Wednesday 12th November our Headteacher, Ms Aubrey, had the pleasure of attending the Royal Shakespeare Company launch of their new curriculum. Dowdales school was in attendance due to the extensive work the school completes with the Royal Shakespeare Company as the Lead Associate School in Cumbria.
Headteacher Ms Aubrey, Assistant Headteacher Mrs Bettinson, Head of Performing Arts Mrs Waddington and Organisation and Administration Engagement Officer Mrs Brown work with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a variety of ways and we were excited to review and support on this wonderful new platform that offers extensive and high-quality resources for students and teachers in state funded schools. The platform brings together the work of artists and directors when preparing Shakespeare performances – it is exciting and revolutionary. It will allow students to access Shakespeare and make progress in their learning at every level.
The event was a spectacular occasion – lead by the RSC and the Foyle Foundation with supporters – Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Helen Mirren and Geoff Barton.
Dowdales School is working with the RSC to launch the new curriculum platform in Cumbria and the North of England and we are excited to be using the resources in school already. At Dowdales School we know the benefits that working with Royal Shakespeare Company techniques bring, not just to the teaching of Shakespeare, but to the students in so many ways – it gives students oracy, confidence, belonging and agency. It allows them all to evaluate text at the highest levels. It is as Sir Ian McKellen says – revolutionary!
SIR IAN MCKELLEN, RSC ASSOCIATE ARTIST SAYS
(From RSC Website):
“Actors, better than other Shakespeare lovers, know how difficult it is to transform his words on the page into living, breathing characters on the stage where they belong. “To expect schoolchildren to grapple with such problems may well put them off Shakespeare for life. “Ever since I was at school, reading a troublesome text around the classroom, I have wondered how professional theatre people might help English teachers who too often feel inadequate to the task. “Now the Royal Shakespeare Company has come up with an answer, a practical way for teachers to lead students to an appreciation of the plays, not just as written texts but as a starting place to explore the excitement of live theatre. “A revolution is in the offing. “The play’s the thing…!”
To find out more from the RSC click here to visit their website
The SecEd Podcast:
Teaching Shakespeare Effectively: Practical tips and classroom ideas
Hosted by Pete Henshaw, featuring Dowdales Headteacher Ms Aubrey, Geoff Barton and Jacqui O’Hanlon
In October Headteacher Ms Aubrey took part in a podcast produced in partnership with the RSC.
This episode marks the launch in November of RSC’s new Shakespeare Curriculum platform and offers a range of practical ideas, advice and teaching techniques for engaging students in the work of William Shakespeare – both in the English classroom and across the school.
To visit the SecEd website Click here
Student View
Being part of the 2025 King Lear National playmaking festival was such an incredible experience that I’ll never forget. Working with students from other Lead associate schools made me realise how alive and relevant his plays still are. This opportunity has allowed me to express myself through my creative ideas, opinions and performance skills. Standing on the stage at the RSC was truly breathtaking it is a memory that I would like to re-live.
Proud to be an RSC Associate School
We are proud to be an RSC Lead Associate School, a status we have held for a number of years as part of our long-running commitment to bringing Shakespeare to life for children and young people across Furness and Cumbria. Through this partnership, we work closely with both local primary and secondary schools, ensuring that students of all ages can experience Shakespeare through creative, practical and performance-based learning.
Our students act as Shakespeare Ambassadors, taking a leading role in promoting the value of theatre, language and creativity within the community. They collaborate with local schools, support workshops and help younger pupils access Shakespeare in an engaging and inclusive way.
Last year, the RSC visited us to perform a special production of The Tempest, for local primary and secondary school audiences. Members of the wider community were also invited, creating a shared cultural experience that celebrated creativity across generations.
Our students also took part in the RSC Playmaking Festival, a highlight of the year for our students. As part of the process, students rehearsed at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon and welcomed RSC creatives — including a Creative Director and Director Mentors — into school to run workshops and refine their performance. The programme culminated in a final performance in June at the RSC in Stratford and a performance at Dowdales in July, showcasing their collaboration, talent and hard work.
The Playmaking Festival brought together our students and pupils from other secondary schools across Cumbria, strengthening regional partnerships and providing a platform for young people to share their interpretations of Shakespeare on a professional stage.
