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Some of  the language used in the script had to be updated when we were cutting the script to make it more up to date with the modern terminology and tv shows as well so for example we changed

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We all worked together to contribute to the performance but the main this I contributed was cutting lines that weren't needed, so when we'd be reading the script I was asked to go through and see which bits were effective and which weren't and to take them out and add different lines or just cut them completely.

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We all wore school uniform to show we're all school students in an exam. It also added a bit of intensity to the performance for the audience because they weren't expecting the "students" to stand up and start acting out as parents.
-I wore a black midi skirt and a white shirt.
-On my feet I wore black trainers.

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Doing the hot seating helped me find my character in a different way from just reading the script because you're actually being the character you're acting as rather than just reading the script.

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-Tables
-Chairs
-Papers on the table
-Book (Miss Baxendale)
-Bags (Chas, Andie, Bea)
-Kit Kat (Chas)
-History revision guide (Andie)

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When we first read the script we felt as though certain things needed to be cut and changed, so when we realised this we all sat as a class and annotated the script to make it short but also effective which I think as a class we nailed quite well.

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We used Pink Floyd- Another brick in the wall because it was effective and worked well with the performance because the lyrics work well with everything that had been entailed in our performance piece.
We also had sound effect

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Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall (HQ)

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We set up the stage so it was sort of scattered but had an orderly fashion to it which all the audience member could see us all.
It looked similar to the photo below.

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Three school leavers, Salty, Hobby and Gail Saunders perform to an audience an account of their time in secondary school (given the name 'Whitewall' for their performance), specifically their time with Mr Jeff Nixon, the new drama teacher who ignites their passion for the stage with his idealism and belief that all children should be treated equally. The children mention that the names of the characters have been changed: Mr Nixon's real name is Mr Harrison, mentioned at the beginning. At the end of the play he leaves Whitewall High School to teach at St George's, another school with much better teachers.

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Andie-
She is a very anxious and nervous character, she shows this a lot throughout the performance, she's into her books, she feels a lot of pressure from her exams and her dad as well. Mr A puts a lot of pressure on Andie which  causes her to get stomach uncles when she feels pressure from certain things.

She has a lot of characteristics to her, she picks her jumper whenever she can, when she feels sick she holds he stomach as well. She's also a very snappy person when she's under pressure
Bea-
Bea is sort of confident in herself, she knows her potential of what she can achieve, she's a lot more closer with her mother which helps her a lot more to ease her nerves before her exams.
Bea is a self-conscious girl but also is very smart and has a lot of potential.
Her form tutor asked her to do her A-levels 2 years early, she feels she doesn't want to pass because she's bored of being the smart one.
Chas-
Chas is a playful also banterous person, he has 4 sibling and his mother lives a very hectic life, she's always out with her friends and pays very little attention to her children.
Chas has a very bubbly personality so he tries to eases the nerves of the other students in them exam with him. He has a very big crush on Bea so he tries his best to make her happy and impress her, which in the end she falls for it.

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The biggest issues that are shown in the performance are how some parents aren't aware that their child is feeling the pressures of exams and how they're not aware of the pressure that they're putting on them.

Statistics show that  96% of the 1300 who completed the survey felt anxious about exams and revision, with 59% feeling pressure from their parents to do well and 64% saying they have never received any support in dealing with exams.
Below is an attached link with more information about exams and pressures that students feel and also how it can affect their mental state and a few examples of students themselves.

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Rising numbers of pupils are seeking counselling because of exam stress, according to children's charity Childline.

Thousands of children turned to the helpline in 2016-17 after struggling alone with the pressures of exams, new figures show.

The findings come in the week that 11-year-olds across England take their Sats, and as teenagers prepare for upcoming GCSEs and A levels.

Overall, Childline provided 3,135 counselling sessions related to exam stress over the last financial year - equivalent to almost nine a day.

More than a fifth of these took place in May - the start of the summer exam season - with pupils telling counsellors that they were worried about heavy workloads and feeling unprepared.

The numbers of exam-related sessions has risen by 11 per cent over the last two years, the NSPCC-run phoneline said.

'So afraid'

Children aged 12 to 15 are the most likely to seek help over exam stress. But this year the biggest rise was among 16-18 year olds, many of whom will have been studying for A levels.

One teenage boy told Childline: "I'm really feeling the pressure of A levels. I've been having panic attacks and difficulty breathing. I'm so afraid of not getting the right grades and I'm stressed about the future. My life could turn out so differently, depending on what I get."

Another said: "I am about to take my and I am under so much pressure as my parents are expecting me to do really well."

NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said: "Exams are important, but worrying and panicking about them can be counter-productive, leaving young people unable to revise and prepare.

"It is vital that young people are supported by family, friends and teachers during the exam period."

'Tough times'

Dame Esther Rantzen, Childline's founder and president, said: "Young people are turning to Childline because they have nobody else to confide in safely when they are desperately anxious.

"We need to recognise how stressful exams can be and reassure our young people and support them through these tough times, which I remember only too well in my life, and my children's lives."

Childline advised young people taking exams to make sure they take regular breaks, do some physical exercise, go to bed at a reasonable hour and try to think positively, even if they do not feel like it. The hotline also encouraged them not to compare themselves with their classmates.

Parents can help to ease stress by not placing unnecessary pressure on children, by encouraging them to take breaks and to be supportive, and to ease their worries by talking to them.
Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow For all the latest news and views on Sats, visit our specialised Sats hub. Tes on Twitter and like Tes on Facebook

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Rising numbers of pupils calling helpline with exam stress

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Rising numbers of pupils are seeking counselling because of exam stress , according to children's charity Childline. Thousands of children turned to the helpline in 2016-17 after struggling alone with the pressures of exams , new figures show. The findings come in the week that 11-year-olds across England take their Sats , and as teenagers prepare for upcoming GCSEs and A levels.

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1. Authoritarian Parenting
-You believe kids should be seen and not heard.
-When it comes to rules, you believe it's "my way or the highway."
-You don't take your child's feelings into consideration.
2. Authoritative Parenting
-You put a lot of effort into ensuring you have a positive relationship with your child.
-You explain the reasons behind your rules.
-You enforce rules and give consequences, but you take your child's feelings into consideration.
3. Permissive Parenting
-You set rules but rarely enforce them.
-You don't give out consequences very often.
-You think your child will learn best with little interference from you.
4. Uninvolved Parenting
-You don't ask your child about school or homework.
-You rarely know where your child is or who she is with.
-You don't spend much time with your child.

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We chose to interpret the parents in a similar way to how Stepford wives are.
Stepford wives is a very robotic animated movie which we wanted to play the parents as because the parents were figures from the children's head.
This worked well in the performance because it was very stationary and it went well with the whole "We're so very proud of you" "Very proud" it was very blunt but effective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEaSAJgaLtQ
(Here's a short clip from the film)

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The exam is a comical performance with a lot of issues that are occurring especially at this time of the year. The topic of this play is mainly based around the pressures that children feel not only from teachers at school but also their parents.
As a group we read through the script to get more of an idea of what we were going to be performing, doing this and getting a feel of all characters helped us create mental character profiles.

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I also played Miss Baxendale in the performance, this worked well because I showed a very different view compared to how I showed Mrs B.
Miss Baxendale is originally a shy teacher and has very little confidence but I showed her in w way that it showed her shyness but also she tries to cover it up with being overly confident.
She's very similar to Elizabeth Halsey aka Cameron Diaz in the film "Bad teacher", I chose this because Elizabeth is confident but also very quirky and awkward which I think is similar to Miss Baxendale, although Elizibeth isn't exactly like Miss Baxendale I think personality wise and characteristics wise they're similar.

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There are 3 main characters in the performance there is Bea, Chas and Andy, all their parents have different perspectives on how they should take exams but all add some sort of pressure to their children's exams.
I was Bea's mum (Mrs B), Mrs B is a relaxed but also fun character, as a parent of Bea she always see's Bea's potential in anything she does, as the closest parent to Bea she's always spending a lot of time with her and Bea feels a lot more comfortable with being around her mum that rather than being with her dad.
Mr B is different to Mrs B because he's always at work and never has time for his wife of his daughter, although he also see's Bea's potential a lot he doesn't coach her so much he puts a lot of pressure mostly just expecting her to do well.

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Kellie Bright aka Linda Carter for me is similar to Mrs B because of their similarities e.g. Linda is very loveable and cares dearly for her children and her husband, she also has a feisty side to her, she knows how to stand her ground if needs be, she's also a very fun person as well, and I see a lot of these similarities in Mrs B.