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The Head of Art refreshes and designs all schemes of work annually based on local and national exhibitions. She organises in-house workshops and gallery visits linked to the pupil’s projects for all year groups travelling as far as London and Scotland. The pupils can then see past and current artists, craftsmen, and designers firsthand. Which in turn, helps influence and develop a strong set of skills, ideas, and techniques developed back in school. All pupils have the opportunity to study and experience drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, printing, clay, sculpture, graphics, illustration, photography, digital media, and textiles. To accommodate some of these disciplines the department has its own i-pads,Chromebooks, sewing machines, printing press, and pottery kiln.
To enhance the ceramic work a specialist potter visits the school and runs clubs for both the Pre-Prep, and Prep School children.
In addition to these clubs there are Art and Graphics clubs on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, and ‘Art Extra’ on Monday evenings.
The Art room also has an open door policy, available to all during lunch times and after school. Everyone is welcome and the emphasis is definitely placed on excitement and enjoyment of the subject!
There are plenty of competitions every term (and some holiday ones too!) where children can win some fantastic prizes and earn points for their House.
For those children who are gifted and talented, and have a desire to pursue the subject at a higher level, there is an Art Programme in place to support their development. This consists of extra, dedicated Art Room time, and regular workshops run by specialist artists and designers.
Drama is expected to make a significant contribution to life at Mowden and there is a commitment to provide access for all, with each child in the School performing at least once a year on the stage as well as attending Drama lessons and taking part in assemblies and creative workshops. The curriculum is designed to ensure there are ample opportunities for students to present their work, both scripted and improvised, to a wider audience including parents, peers and staff, thereby allowing opportunities for others to take part in and/or witness the creative responses the pupils make. This provides a stimulating and creative environment where ‘something is always happening’ around the School, allowing the children to see and understand the relevance that Drama can have for their personal development.
Our aim at Mowden is to promote a wide-ranging understanding of theatre and performance and to enable students to make critical, interpretative and creative judgements about the work they encounter. A purpose-built theatre enables the children to learn about all aspects of staging plays and each class, from Nursery through to Year 8, develops its own production during the year. Scripts are often original works written by Mowden staff (and children) to complement study programmes in specific subjects, for example Classical Studies. Most plays are accompanied by a musical score written for the production and many children form part of the orchestra. From an early stage, children become accustomed to public speaking, as reading reports and prayers in Assemblies are a way of life.
Music is accessible to every child in the school and the curriculum covers a broad range of topics aiming to stimulate participation in some aspect of the subject. A huge emphasis is placed on exploration, through composing and performing on keyboards, and basic theory is also covered. In fact, a number of students develop a strong interest in music theory, resulting in them taking formal ABRSM examinations.
All children are encouraged to study at least one musical instrument, ideally from Year 4, when they learn about all the instruments of the orchestra, and some children study 2, or even 3 instruments. Currently, over 90% of our pupils have instrumental lessons each week. A team of eleven visiting music teachers assist the Director of Music in the provision of a wide variety of instrumental studies, ranging from standard orchestral instruments to rarer offerings such as Northumbrian pipes and harp.
There are a number of ensembles that rehearse throughout the year, aiming to perform in at least one of the major concerts that take place regularly each term. Concert highlights throughout the year include Hexham Abbey Carol Service, Matfen Hall Christmas Concert,Leavers’ Concert, and there are usually two Creative Workshops in each term. A small ensemble accompanies the hymn in two of the weekly assemblies and other ensembles perform the incidental music for school drama productions.
The Choir sing regularly and are occasionally involved in large, showcase events, combining with schools within the Prep Schools Trust. Recent successes include concerts in Winchester and Durham Cathedrals. The junior members of the school have scheduled singing lessons and they have frequent opportunities to sing throughout the year.
As an added incentive to children to perform as often as possible, the ‘Music Millionaire’ competition runs throughout the year. Here, the children earn ‘money’ for practising, as well as performing, and there are prizes at the end of each term. These results contribute towards the final House Points tally each term and there is a cup, which is presented to the best House at the end of each year.
