Creative Arts at Springbank Academy
Music, Art, Drama, Film, Photography, Dance, Design and Technology
Our talented, passionate and dedicated teachers work collaboratively, providing life-changing experiences for pupils on a weekly basis. Each academic year, Springbank Academy aims to give each child the opportunity to experience arts and culture in all its forms that are both enjoyable and inspiring. The Creative Arts are interwoven into the school curriculum, planning and regularly into the School Improvement Plan, ensuring Arts continue to flourish in our whole school learning.
Our aim as a school is that Arts should be inclusive and provide children with opportunity to be authentic, creative, innovative, and inspiring; enabling personal progression, build confidence, and foster a drive for excellence. Children are encouraged to take ownership of their learning through reflection and pupil voice.
The creative arts are highly esteemed at Springbank. Expression through performance provides a safe and healthy platform for self-expression, which in turn helps develop emotionally intelligent young people, developing confidence now and in the future.
Music
Children are given opportunity to showcase their talents to parents by taking part in several performances a year, either in school or through on-line technology. Singing is encouraged both in and out of school. All children are given chance to sing within assemblies and in-class curricular lessons during the school week. Some children may also be asked to be part of the school choir for special events and performances outside of school. Song writing competitions are run within school to allow children to be expressive and creative with their language and voice. Whole class Ukulele and Recorder for KS2 is offered for two terms each year, as well as other enrichment projects, such as taking part in a charity single, music workshops and music visits out into the community. Music is provided within the school curriculum and offers a broad and progressive knowledge of music, such as learning about composers, the orchestra, notation, and music theory, as well as playing tuned and un-tuned instruments.
One-to-one lessons are available within school from our Music Specialist, Mrs Salloway. Please speak to reception for more details if you wish your child to receive lessons during the school day. Certificates are given out every year to celebrate your child’s success. Lessons currently offered are: Ukulele, Piano, Recorder and Singing.
Click a photo to scroll through the whole gallery.
Drama
Children enjoy performances together and weekly workshops, especially in Shakespeare. Our drama specialist, Mr Purveur teaches children the fundamentals of acting and the way in which you use your voice to engage an audience. Speech grades can also be offered to children. Reading scripts and reading out-loud are practised regularly. Performances take place within the school year and are available for all children. During 2021-2022 the school is taking part in a new speech initiative, where the whole of year 4 and 5 will have whole class lessons in speech and will take speech grades at the ned of the year. This is a brand-new innovation that Springbank is trialling.
Film And Photography
Year 6’s enjoy creating a film based on quality literature such as: The Hobbit, Alice In Wonderland, Harry Potter. In 2021-2022 the film will be The Wind In The Willows, one of the children’s favourite stories. The film is created by our specialist film director within school Miss Koenig. Miss Koenig provides children with opportunity to express themselves and become absorbed within their character. The children have also created films on more thought provoking subjects, such as: Stranger Danger, STARFISH Values, Making A Better World and in collaboration with Mr Purveur, Page Not Found (exploring the darker side of the Internet). Miss Koenig also produces films for added enrichment that interweaves into the curriculum in many different subjects such as History and Geography, these are used for class debates, homework and to consolidate learning.
Films of children’s learning throughout the year are also available on a regular basis for parents and carers to watch and enjoy their children’s success. These add life to the annual reports. Miss Koenig also provides photography workshops where children can learn the skills needed for roles within media and art. Work aspirations are also discussed throughout the school year and cameo shots of children are produced and displayed with pride.
Art And Design
Children are encouraged to produce creative work, exploring their ideas, and recording their experiences. They can own their skills of becoming proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other Art, Craft and Design techniques and evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft, and design. Throughout the curriculum, children learn about great artists, craft makers and designers and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms. From time-to-time children are provided with enrichment projects where art is encouraged and displayed throughout the school, on the website, out in the community or through on-line galleries. Miss Beeching leads this area with Mrs Williams creating pieces of art for display around the school.
Learning Through The Masters
Through exploring the artists’ techniques, we have recreated our own versions of their masterpieces. Click on any photo to scroll through the whole gallery.
Dance
Dance is taught to the children every week by our Dance Specialist Miss Binch. Dance is very important for health and fitness but also is a lot of fun. Dance provides children with a way of expressing themselves outside of the classroom. Co-ordination is key in remembering dance moves and dance sequences and provides a way in which children can be creative and innovative with their performances. Children regularly have opportunity to take part in dance competitions, where they go out of school to perform with other schools. Street dancing, Hip-hop and Zumba are all offered throughout the year.
Design Technology
Design Technology is taught within the curriculum and allows use of a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks, for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing. Children are invited to use a wide variety of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients. They can make, shape and build things from their imagination and can be as creative as they want to be with any given project they are working on. Food Technology is also included within this subject area, where children have a chance at creating some wonderful recipes. Mr Waller leads this subject area and co-ordinates the weekly skills tasks and DT projects throughout the year.
Music Mark 2022-2023
Great News to share! Springbank Academy has achieved the Music Mark Accreditation 2022/23. Children are offered Piano, Singing, Ukulele, Recorder, Guitar, or Drumming lessons across the school and given various opportunities to perform and sing during the school year, as well as using Charanga music scheme for the curriculum. A big thank you to all our wonderful children who work so hard in their music lessons, we are so proud of you.
Springbank Academy is a member of The White Hills Park Trust, a company registered in England and Wales.