LAMDA Exam Day at H-FARM International School: 35 students from PYP3 to MYP3 sit for international certification

Today, H-FARM International School Venice hosted the official LAMDA exam session, the prestigious certifications awarded by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, recognised internationally as one of the leading standards in the world for performing arts and communication.

A total of 35 students, from PYP3 to MYP2, sat the exams in front of official LAMDA examiners across two dedicated exam rooms and through more than 26 sessions, individually, in pairs, and in groups, in various disciplines including acting, devising, musical theatre, public speaking, verse and prose, and reading for performance.

This is a particularly meaningful milestone for our school community in Venice. H-FARM International School is the only school in Northern Italy accredited as an official LAMDA Centre, a status earned in 2024 and confirmed year after year by the quality of the programme and the results of our students. In our first session last year, 100% of candidates passed the exam, with 60% achieving Distinction, the highest possible grade.

This is not a symbolic recognition. LAMDA exams are assessed by international examiners against rigorous criteria entirely independent of the school. From Grade 6 onwards (a level our students can progressively reach in the coming years, building on the foundations our MYP students are laying today at Grade 3), they begin to earn UCAS points, the British standard for university credit accepted by universities in the United Kingdom. It is a long-term pathway that, from the Primary Years onwards, contributes concretely to building an international portfolio capable of supporting applications to the most competitive universities.

Today’s exam day is the result of months of work. The students of the LAMDA Club, led by Ms Maria Hamblin and Mr Anthony Hamblin, have been preparing throughout Term 3. As Mr Anthony explained: “Even the best ideas can go unnoticed if they are not communicated clearly and effectively.”

At H-FARM International School, the performing arts are not an optional add-on but a structural component of our educational model, both inside and outside the curriculum. Stepping onto a stage, interpreting a character, and managing one’s voice and body in front of an external examiner means developing some of the most important skills the adults of tomorrow will be expected to master: public speaking, emotional intelligence, empathy, collaboration, stress management, and self-confidence. These are the soft skills that international research consistently identifies as strong predictors of academic, professional, and personal success.

As our CEO, Antonello Barbaro, has often emphasised, “by promoting creativity, empathy, communication and self-confidence, the performing arts allow our students to thrive not only academically, but also as people and as future leaders.” This vision translates into concrete projects such as LAMDA, where the rigour of an international certification meets authentic personal growth.

And the journey does not end here. The programme will continue to grow next year with after-school musicals open to PYP students, additional LAMDA exam sessions, both for individuals and groups, and an expansion of opportunities for MYP students, who were already among today’s protagonists.

A special thank you goes to Maria and Anthony for the dedication with which they lead this project and, above all, to every student who chose to take on this challenge today. To each of them, the school sends its warmest wishes: good luck with the results, and congratulations on the courage you have shown. Simply taking on a LAMDA exam is already, in itself, a real achievement — and one that says a great deal about the kind of young people H-FARM International School is proud to help shape.