Format and timings
There are four °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars awards:
- Stage 1
- Stage 2
- Stage 3
- School Show
Stage 1, 2, 3 awards
Size of groups - between 5-40 children
Performance time - 5-30 minutes depending on the stage
Method - Schools enter groups of children at Stage 1, 2 or 3 depending on the English language ability of the class.
School Show award
Size of group - up to 300 children
Performance time - 30-90 minutes depending on the stage
Method - Schools prepare a School Show group and book a °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars expert to watch the dress rehearsal.
Teachers are encouraged to link language-based performances to themes they are covering in class. Performance goals and language goals for each stage are listed in the °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars Guide for Teachers.
Project work
In addition to the performances, for each award learners must produce a class or individual project based on their performance or performance theme. The °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars expert will view and stamp the project on the same days as the performance.
Entry requirements
It is recommended that learners have:
- Six months to one year of English language learning experience before entering at Stage 1
- One to two years of English language experience before entering at Stage 2
- Two or more years of English language experience before entering at Stage 3
Online resources
It is not a requirement to use the °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars support material to enter for the awards, but we you recommend take a look at range of materials available:
- classroom activities
- project ideas
- printable resources
- videos to support your performance themes
- videos of °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars performances at each stage
- a forum for teachers to share ideas
Guide for Teachers
The Guide for Teachers describes how the award works and the types of award that groups of children can be entered for. It provides details of the language and performance goals for each award stage, along with examples of classroom activity plans. These plans have been designed to help teachers integrate performance activities into their English language classes.
Teacher development
All group performances are watched by a °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars expert, who will interact with the learners at the end of the performance. At the end of each performance teachers are offered a reflective feedback session of up to 30 minutes.
The reflective feedback session is an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their classroom preparation and the performance itself. The session is also a chance for the °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars expert to offer feedback and suggestions on using performance in language teaching.
Teachers who take part receive a certificate for participating in the reflective feedback session with the °®¶¹ÊÓƵ Stars expert. Certificates are issued after the performance date.