“She Found Her Voice Again”: How LAMDA Helped Angel Thrive
When Lola began homeschooling her daughter Angel, she was looking for more than just a curriculum. LAMDA turned out to be a powerful part of that journey.
One year on, Angel has earned a distinction in her Grade 5 Acting exam, started screen acting at YATI, and received a Jack Petchey Award. But more importantly, she’s found her voice—and herself.
We spoke to Lola about the power of drama, the impact of personalised teaching, and why LAMDA was the unexpected key to unlocking Angel’s confidence.
Why choose LAMDA?
Lola knew from the start that LAMDA wasn’t just about acting. For Angel, it offered something deeper: a structure, a purpose, and a safe space to grow.
“Taking LAMDA lessons as part of homeschooling was one of the best decisions we made. Being homeschooled can be lonely at times, therefore, taking LAMDA lessons can offer crucial life skills like communication, confidence, and teamwork.”
The benefits were immediate and wide-reaching.
“LAMDA has definitely improved my daughter’s confidence, speaking skills, memory, reading fluency, voice projection and presentation techniques. This will also help in the future with extra UCAS points which are used by universities to determine entry requirements.”
The fact that LAMDA also provides UCAS points at higher grades was a bonus. But for Lola, the biggest benefit was something more personal: helping Angel find her voice.
Finding Her Voice
![Bel [Angel's LAMDA Tutor]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b209eccdba70323756decd/1747383030079-QWED5WTB6XM79WFI133F/Annabel.jpg)
When Angel first began lessons, Lola felt that her daughter’s confidence was extremely low - communication was difficult, and she often kept her thoughts to herself.
“I’m sure Annabel [Angel’s tutor] will agree that Angel probably had zero confidence. Angel lost her voice and herself. She was afraid to speak or share her thoughts with anyone.”
But slowly, things began to shift.
“In time, she slowly started to come out of her solidly locked shell. She built a strong foundation and trusting relationship with her tutor.”
The relationship between tutor and student is a really important one, especially with a subject as exposing as performance or communication. But, when it works, the results are palpable.
What happened during lessons
As the lessons continued, Angel began to connect with the work—and with herself. Her interest in performance started to grow, and she began sharing ideas freely.
“Now, Angel will speak about almost everything—from audition pieces, new monologues or scripts she is preparing for, or what the cat dragged in!”
“Angel’s whole outlook in her world is finally coming to light with ideas she wants to share with her tutor. This led her to take a leap of faith and start screen acting at YATI [a youth theatre in Islington], realising she does have the ability to work on her craft.”
Her work with tutor Annabel laid a strong foundation that Angel carried with her into other spaces.
“Being with Annabel, Angel could research many scripts and monologues which gave her a good start to perform on the spot each week at YATI. It’s given Angel the confidence to start mixing with people her own age and share her thoughts and interests with others.”
“Angel is a great example of children who are overlooked in society and schools due to their differences. It took just one person to see potential in Angel and when this happens you see glimmers of hope which leads to greater things. Angel and I will always be forever grateful to those who are responsible for how far Angel has come in just one year.”
That personalised approach is something that we strive for at My LAMDA Tutor.
Personalised Support That Makes a Difference
Lola was especially grateful for the care taken in supporting Angel’s individual needs throughout the LAMDA journey—from preparation to exam day.
“The communication between Angel’s LAMDA tutor and the support behind the scenes made sure my daughter’s needs were met. It was impeccable and extremely helpful.”
“Your child’s tutor will always want what is best for their student, which is to be ready and confident before taking their exam.”
“We had many concerns due to my daughter’s neuro differences. This was heavily taken into consideration and without disappointment, her needs were individually catered for and met before, during and up until the exam day.”
My LAMDA Tutor worked with Lola and the examining board, LAMDA Exams, to create an environment where Angel could achieve her best. We arranged for a series of “Mock Exams” with tutors (and a LAMDA Examiner) so that Angel got used to what the process would be like on exam day. We submitted a Reasonable Adjustment request to LAMDA Exams who supported Angel’s additional needs. This included: a photograph of the examiner, extra time in case of stimulus overload, and examiner awareness of Angel’s neuro-divergence.
Achieving a Distinction
Angel took her first ever LAMDA exam just before Christmas—and passed with flying colours.
“We were so grateful for her tutor. It reminded us just how hard she had worked. The feeling of achievement is something you don’t forget—it’s not just about the grade, it’s about what it represents.”
Exam success
Just before Christmas, Angel took her Grade 5 LAMDA Acting exam through our 4-year partnership with YATI. It was her first ever LAMDA Exam and received… a distinction!
“At first, you feel so grateful for the person who believed in you the most, which was her tutor.”
“We then reflected on the hours of studying and learning the piece inside out, dissecting the characters and the monologue. The feeling of achievement is quite unique because you remember the incredible work and effort you put in to achieve a distinction.”
And the feedback didn’t stop there.
“The feedback has been absolutely incredible. To be really honest, YATI has been the only place where Angel has felt completely accepted and safe.”
“With a friendly approach, they have all understood her needs, giving positive feedback to work and master her craft. Angel then went on to be represented by YATI and successfully auditioned for a play, Normalised, which secured her a major role and she was also part of the ensemble.”
A Jack Petchey Award—And a Moment to Reflect
Earlier this year, Angel was awarded a Jack Petchey Award in recognition of her growth and contribution to her youth theatre.
“Angel is a very humble young lady. At first, she was a bit baffled as to why she received an award like this.”
But with some reflection, Angel saw just how far she had come.
“Looking back at a year of small achievements, in fact we realised it involved several steps, including reviewing goals, recognising milestones, and reflecting on personal growth.”
“It was a valuable process for understanding past successes and identifying areas for improvement, and setting future personal goals.”
Angel on set for a film (release late 2025)
What’s Next?
Now, preparing for her Grade 6 Acting exam, Angel continues to surprise and inspire.
“The journey has been incredible. Never overlook the small changes. It’s the small changes which lead to accomplishments which go onto greater things. Its not just landing roles or going for auditions etc, it’s more rewarding to be able to learn and broaden your horizon, communicate, socialise with others and to try and be independent which most of us take for granted.
“We are expected to be able to do all the above without hesitation but for many children or adults like Angel, it can be very daunting to fit in.”
“Having lamda lessons most definitely gave the right tools to be able to do all the above and changed the gears from reverse to drive!”
Words for other parents
To families considering whether LAMDA might be the right fit for their child, Lola offers this:
“Whether it may be the right fit or not, LAMDA is not just about going into acting or improving their performance skills.”
“Taking LAMDA lessons benefits all students, no matter what age—from improving communication skills, confidence, improved vocabulary, reading skills, understanding of literacy and becoming more knowledgeable.”
“It’s definitely the way forward to improving your child’s English literacy skills, which I believe brings out the best in your child for sure.”
Want to know if LAMDA is the right fit for your family?
At My LAMDA Tutor, we offer personalised 1:1 tuition that supports confidence, creativity and communication—whether your child is preparing for an exam, exploring drama, or just needs help finding their voice.
