4, St German's Place

Blackheath

London SE3 0NJ

Tel: 020 8858 0692

Art

‘Art stimulates creativity and imagination.  It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding and responding to the world.  It also helps to increase and enrich the personal, social and intellectual development of children, developing an awareness of the environment.  It can heighten sensory experience and develop powers of imagination and expression.’

During Art lessons, children explore and develop ideas.  These can be stimulated by observing the art and artefacts from a variety of cultures and periods of time, by working from direct experience or from their imagination.  Skills and techniques are developed using a wide variety of media.  Work includes drawing, painting, collage, print making, model making, fabric work and clay modelling.  Children are encouraged to investigate, create, evaluate and modify where necessary in order to develop their understanding and enjoyment of art as fully as possible.

Lessons usually take place in the Art room where the children are able to use a wide range of materials.  Work is sometimes linked to other curriculum areas, particularly History, enriching the experience in both subjects.

Art is a major learning tool.  It is used to communicate ideas, express feelings and record experiences.  During the year, children will develop skills in the main areas of Art listed above.  Some Art topics will also be linked to other areas of the curriculum, especially History, RE and Maths.

Music

Music is concerned with the creative, aesthetic, intellectual and emotional response to sound.  It is a subject that is highly valued and is provided for the education and enjoyment of all pupils regardless of ability.

Through a wide range of activities we aim to build confidence so that children find a lasting sense of purpose, achievement and fulfilment in musical expression.  Pupils learn to sing, play a range of tuned and un-tuned instruments, and to listen carefully to music made by others.  In doing so, the imagination is stimulated, co-ordination skills are developed and bonds are made with other music makers and audiences.

Both performance and composition are taught.  Children are encouraged to explore ideas, improve their work and use notation where possible.  By investigating the range of sounds made by a wide variety of instruments pupils learn to create moods and effects, developing a musical vocabulary.  They also learn to appreciate music from their own and other cultures.

Recorder tuition is offered to all Year 2 as part of their music curriculum. There is a strings teaching programme for Year 3 with free tuition on either the violin or ‘cello, in small groups and as a class. Similar tuition for woodwind/brass instruments takes place in Year 4. Year 5 and 6 receive free tuition in Taiko (Japanese drumming).

There are four choirs, including a Boys’ Choir, and the school has enjoyed considerable success in local music festivals.  A String Orchestra and Wind Band meet at lunchtimes with all children playing an instrument encouraged to belong to one of these.  Flute, recorder, clarinet, piano, violin and ‘cello are taught by peripatetic teachers.  The completion of a new Music Suite allows brass instruments and percussion to be added to the peripatetic lessons on offer to the children.

Music is taught throughout the school by a specialist music teacher.

Drama

Drama is taught as a subject in every year group. It initially focuses the children’s raw energy into organised and structured drama.  Children are encouraged to engage with the characters and roles using improvisation, mime and story-telling to create their own simple texts and scenes.  They are also encouraged to look at their work from the perspective of the audience and to practise constructive criticism.  They learn to express themselves in a clear thought-out manner, working on articulation and diction as well as clarity of movement.

Drama lessons are taught by a specialist teacher.  By the time children reach Year 6, the aim is to be able to create and perform effective pieces of drama using a variety of skills and techniques.  Children work with scripts, understanding and performing set texts.  Performance techniques enable children to feel confident and at ease with an audience.  A major production takes place in the pupils’ final term at school, combining work from the Music and Drama curricula.