Free School Shows Teaching Resources

Ideas for School Shows

Putting on a school show or production is a challenge whether it is an end of term or end of year performance or a fundraising event. First you have to plan in a date and venue, make sure that it doesn’t already clash with a hectic timetable, then find the right school play and play script that will work for your year group. You may be thinking of a talent show for the children, or a fashion show or maybe even a full-blown musical production. Start with the resources on this page and you can at check out some of the ideas for plays, musicals, productions and scripts that could work for you and your students, including some great free previews.

Top Tips for Putting on a School Show

Whether you are a primary or secondary teacher, putting on a school production can be daunting. Here are our top tips for a successful Christmas show or end of term play: 

1. Plan it, plan it some more, then plan again. Date, venue, resources, kids, costumes, lighting, publicity, stage hands, all need putting in place before you start. 
2. Get your team together- people you can rely on to help out with the process whether that is other teachers or just helpful parents. 
3. Get the kids involved with the choice of production. They could draw up a shortlist of school plays from suggestions, do a survey or get the school council involved. 
4. Make sure your choice of play is appropriate for the ages and abilities of the kids, otherwise they won’t get the most from the experience. 
5. Don’t push yourself. Try to enjoy the experience. If you are turning into a megalomaniac nightmare to work with, no-one will want to be around you when you need them the most. 
6. Get as much help as possible from parents and staff when it comes to making costumes and sourcing props. Get the children involved with painting the stage set and scenery. 
7. Promote your school play or musical production (or talent or fashion show) so that everyone knows about it well in advance. If you are selling tickets make sure that parents have already penciled in the evening or day of the performance in their diaries so you don’t get accused of it being too short notice. 
8. Plan your rehearsal times well in advance and make sure the kids and the rehearsal space is available with everything you might need (piano for musical numbers, CD player etc) 
9. Remind the students and the school, as a whole, about the event at every opportunity, so that you create a buzz. Let the children perform a song or two in assembly as a preview or get them selling tickets to parents at drop off or pick up time.