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The arts, in their widest sense, are a very important part of our curriculum at Lydford Primary School. We have held Arts Mark Gold from the Arts Council since 2010, which is awarded only to those schools who show a commitment to providing extensive, quality arts experiences. We believe that the arts are key to helping children develop as fully rounded individuals and allowing them to build their confidence.
Each Christmas the whole school works together to produce a play for the local community. The very youngest children will learn a dance routine and join in with the chorus for the songs, whilst the oldest children will take on the main acting parts and may even sing a solo if they wish. It is amazing to see the shyest of children build their skills year after year and ultimately take on a leading role with confidence and stage presence.
This year, we have been very lucky to be able to work with Mrs Davis, a specialist drama teacher from Okehampton College. She helped us create a fantastic version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ for the end of the Autumn Term and this term she worked with Key Stage 2 children to create an amazing, modern version of Macbeth which interwove Shakespearean text with modern street language. It was well wicked!
As well as the main curriculum, we also have an annual Book Week in the Spring Term and an Arts Week in the Summer Term. These are opportunities for us to give the children arts experiences outside the normal curriculum and introduce them to professional artists.
Over the last few years, our children have worked with Chinese artist Xaio Bai Li, sculptor James Lake, dancer Matt Maklin, digeridoo player Chris Holland and authors Veronica Lamond, Chris D’Lacey and Simon James, to name but a few. Each one has been able to share their love of their particular art and how they became a professional artist, as well as sharing their skills and talent. It is fantastic to see the children realising that, although it is important to have talent, it is even more important to have determination, resilience and work hard to do well at something.
In the Summer Term, Wren Music work with Class 2 to teach them a new instrument. After a term of lessons the whole class perform as a group in the Summer Concert. Over the last few years they have had a go at learning ukuleles, steel drums, saxophones and tenor horns. It’s a lesson all the children look forward to and a great opportunity for them to experience performing music as a group and the reward of persevering with a new skill, although it can be fun trying to find room for 30 full-sized steel drums in the classroom!
All children in year 2 have lessons to learn the recorder, thanks to the voluntary work of our previous administrator, who although she has now retired, comes back each week to teach the year 2s and run a club for the juniors at lunchtime. This introduction to music and playing has led to many of our pupils taking up musical instruments, whether they continue with the recorder and develop onto the treble, join the Music Hub to learn an instrument or take private lessons. We have pupils at school learning all sorts of instruments, from the tuba and trombone to keyboard and guitar.
As a small school, we are really lucky that when we do an activity or workshop we are often able to make sure every child in school takes part. Sometimes we split the school into infants and juniors and have separate workshops, but sometimes we join as a whole school to create art together. Most recently, a local lady with a skill in felting visited the school to teach them how to make multi-coloured felt eggs. The younger children worked alongside the older children, who helped and supported the infants to create their felt egg, whilst also making their own. In this way, the children learn patience and how to collaborate, as well as producing beautiful pieces of work.
In the current educational climate of testing and measuring, we at Lydford Primary School think it is important that every child has the opportunity to create, compose and perform to help them develop their talent and character.
Barbara Earnshaw
Head of School