The teaching of Art is valued highly at St Hilary's and this is reflected in the results that all of the children achieve. Regular weekly lessons are enjoyed by all of the pupils where they are introduced to a wide selection of techniques. The well equipped and spacious art room is used by the pupils in Years 2-6, while the younger children receive their art lessons in their own class bases.
The children in Year 5 and 6, who show particular artistic talent, are invited to an extension Art Club which enables them to extend their studies and prepare for Art Scholarship examinations. These children develop a body of work for their portfolio, learn high level observational drawing skills and create a comprehensive sketch book to fulfil the scholarship requirements. A pottery club is also available for those in Year 4.
Full use is made of the kiln by children in the upper school who enjoy working with clay in its many forms. They also create sculptures using a range of other three dimensional materials such as Modroc, wire and wood. Each pupil has the opportunity to learn how to use batik and silk painting equipment, printing tools, stencils, collage materials, a variety of paints and mark making materials. Every child is encouraged to feel confident when experimenting with ideas and is enabled to learn technical skills in a supportive and carefully structured environment. The Smart Board in the Art room is used regularly to introduce the children to the work of other artists and this helps them in their research when developing each new piece of work.
At St Hilary's it is important that the children's work is celebrated and shared. A broad variety of displays are found around the school and these are studied and enjoyed by all those who visit or are members of the school. The children also take part in a number of exhibitions and competitions which gives them the immense pleasure of seeing their work admired and recognised by others. Each year a selection of girls will have their pieces exhibited at the national art exhibition for preparatory schools. Pupils have also been successful when they have taken part in local and national competitions, gaining prizes on many occasions.
On entry to Year 3, in the upper school at St Hilary's, candidates can apply to enter for an Art Scholarship. Each Year 2 girl who wishes to enter will be invited to take part in a drawing examination and will be asked to bring a small collection of their art work to discuss with the Art teacher. A major award or two minor awards will be given to the most capable girls. The successful candidates will be encouraged to develop their skills further, participate in the exhibitions and competitions arranged for their age group and will be part of the body of girls who enter for an Art Scholarship to their chosen senior school.
Facilities:
The D&T Room – a specially designated workshop that is used by the pupils in Years 3-6. It is well equipped with work benches and a range of woodworking tools including shaper saws, hack saws and drills. Textile work is also carried out by the girls using sewing machines and detailed hand work. Each term a new topic is introduced when key skills are taught and a challenge is set for the girls to meet. Projects often have cross-curricular links as seen in the electrical light up scenes and pneumatic models the girls make, which make good use of knowledge acquired in Science.
The Art Room – a spacious, light and well appointed room which is used by children in Years 2-6. The children experience a range of activities which include painting, printing, drawing, sculpture, silk painting and batik. Regular use is made of the kiln, enabling the pupils to produce high quality ceramic pieces. Experimentation and the structured learning of skills underpin Art teaching so that the children become confident in a variety of techniques. The Smart Board allows the pupils to research the work of other artists through power points and the controlled use of the internet.