Students at ̨��swag Academy Riverside are celebrating after passing their recent Speech and Drama exams.

114 students across Years 8 and 9 sat the Level 1, Grade 3: Speaking in Public exams delivered by the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). All students passed the exam, with 74% achieving the highest possible award of Distinction.

Every student at ̨��swag Academy Riverside studies Speech and Drama at key stage 3 and can choose to continue this into key stage 4 as an afterschool enrichment programme. The academy is in a rare position as a state school in the UK which has compulsory Speech and Drama as a part of the curriculum, at no charge for students or parents and carers.

The academy, located in Russell Street, Middlesbrough, is in the top 1% of most deprived schools nationally, with the number of students eligible for free school meals, special educational needs support and those with English as an additional language all more than double the national average, making the opportunity to gain world-renowned qualifications through LAMDA all the more significant. 

Melissa Brant-Smith, Principal at ̨��swag Academy Riverside, said:

“I am delighted and immensely proud of all the students and their LAMDA results - they are exceptional! Providing the students with additional opportunities to succeed is at the heart of the speech and language programme. They have gained valuable communications skills which will set them up for success in future years.”

Speech and Drama lessons at the academy focus on pupils’ personal growth through the acquisition and development of communication skills and the creation of a personal ‘toolkit’, equipping individuals to compete in an ever-changing job market and function with confidence in social and personal situations; listening carefully and speaking clearly.

The specialist lessons empower pupils to choose how to speak, communicate, interact and present in order to achieve their desired outcomes and give them more choices in both their working and social interactions.

LAMDA is a world-leading conservatoire, offering exceptional vocational training to actors, stage managers, technicians, directors and designers, regardless of their background or economic circumstances.

Also an awarding organisation, LAMDA offers qualifications in communication and performance, inspiring the next generation of confident communicators through examinations in drama, literature and poetry.