Carina's Birthday

Sex and Relationships Education

For year 6 (KS2)

Carina's Birthday is a drama workshop about personal safety, growing up, feelings, families and puberty. The drama introduces us to Carina's new family busy preparing for her 11th birthday. The sketches are interspersed with challenging workshop sections when the audience are invited to improve their decision-making skills, understand their sense of responsibility, learn about some of the realities of growing up and consider how their friends and family influence them.

Carina's Birthday is targeted at year 6 pupils and lasts approximately 90 minutes divided into three sections. Each section is led by a short piece of drama that leaves the characters in an unresolved situation. It is then up to the audience to offer suggestions to the characters who will explore the options and examine the possible consequences.

Carina is growing up fast; it's her 11th birthday, she's planning her party and she's started having periods. But other events are threatening to steal her thunder: her best friend Becky is getting far too friendly with her stepbrother Bradley; Jake, her other stepbrother, is a massive pain; and now her step mum, Lisa, is pregnant.

Lisa won't let Carina wear the clothes and makeup she had planned for the party and whilst she is doing her karaoke routine Jake really humiliates her. Carina creeps out of the house after the party and runs off to her grandma's.

Jake and Bradley are in huge trouble for provoking Carina, they feel that she gets preferential treatment and that no one seems to think that they might sometimes need reassurance because of all the family changes. They reckon that adults believe that boys don't have feelings. Carina is also in huge trouble for frightening everyone. Punishments are in the air but talking seems to be the solution ...

"A fantastic way to conclude what we have covered over the last week. Puberty is a very important topic that can be a very embarrassing time for children. The theatre was a fantastic way to teach children about changes. Thank you very much, it was great."