The Arts
In music, drama and art, every child has opportunities to create and perform. They give the opportunity to engage creatively in the world and it enables pupils to communicate by means other than words, to develop ideas, and to express themselves freely.
We believe that all children are creative which needs to be nurtured so that each and every child can embrace their creativity and gain a better understanding of themselves, whilst having fun.
Music
We passionately believe that music is an intrinsic ingredient of a rounded education. That’s why every pupil at Griffin House receives a generous allocation of class music lessons, delivered by an experienced, specialist teacher.
It’s no surprise to hear music as you walk down the corridors at Highfield – children singing, composing music, playing their instruments in a one-to-one lesson, choir rehearsals or performing a piece in the orchestra practice. We love music here – it is a part of our day and a part of our life at school. In these lessons the children, from Nursery upwards, are taught a structured programme which incorporates elements of the Kodály system.
Pupils’ enthusiasm and joy is palpable in their performances, whether in class, in assemblies, at local music festivals, singing days, our special carol service or the annual upper school concert. Younger pupils sing in their Nativity performances and the Spring Celebration.
Art
From Year 1 Art is taught by a subject specialist and we believe that each child should have the opportunities to fulfil their creative potential, and, to facilitate this, pupils are given many opportunities to undertake activities which develop their skills in exploring and developing ideas, investigating and making art, craft and design, evaluating and developing the work they produce.
In art sessions the pupils sketch, paint, print and sculpt using many materials including pencil, ink, pastels, watercolours, clay and more. The work of artists and designers from around the world are studied with the pupils voicing opinions and looking at different techniques and or perspective.
Drama
Drama plays a significant role in the life of Griffin House and drama is integrated within English lessons. Drama productions take place across the school throughout the year, the highlight being the Year 6 musical production in the summer term, supported by Year 5.
The pupils are given the space to explore the dramatic arts in a supportive environment and in the classroom, the children will learn to devise and improvise. They will look at scripts and technique and learn to work as a team and enjoy the experience of performance. They are encouraged to make brave decisions in improvisation and use expression
Beyond the Classroom
Our extensive curriculum ensures that each pupil will find areas in which they excel. Alongside more traditional subjects like maths and English, we offer languages, computing, art and design, drama, music and sport, all of which are integral to the life of the school.
All classes participate in a regular programme of visits, workshops and field trips to support their learning. By taking children out of the classroom and allowing them to learn beyond the school curriculum, they can gain many new skills and strengthen their knowledge in a particular area.
One of Griffin’s many strengths is the extra-curricular programme that helps pupils develop their passions and talents, as well as building valuable life skills. The majority of extracurricular activities are free. However, there are a small number of paid-for clubs / activities where a specialist instructor is employed to take the sessions and a termly charge applies.
In This Section
“In art, pupils have many opportunities to develop appropriate creative skills when using different media in art projects”
ISI, May 2024
