This year we were delighted to be presented with an Artsmark Silver Award by the Arts Council England in recognition of our strong commitment to, and excellence in, arts education.  It is our understanding that Priory is the first independent school in Birmingham to receive such a prestigious award. 

We are delighted that the Arts Council has recognised our arts education provision as we too consider the Arts to be strength of our school, playing a vital role in the educational success of our pupils.   Through the arts pupils gain in confidence and self esteem, they learn to express their emotions and both celebrate and respect the school’s rich cultural heritage.

 

Extra Curricular and Performances

We are particularly proud of the extra- curriculuar programme offered to our pupils. Performances and exhibitions of pupil work are a regular part of school life. In 2007-2008, the Arts Department staged well over 20 public performances/exhibitions.

At KS1 and KS2, the majority of extra curricular activities are offered in lunch times and after school. At KS3 and KS4, they also feature strongly as part of our innovative Enrichment Programme – meaning that all pupils participate in at least four ‘extra curricular’ activities a week.

Clubs are provided for all pupils, regardless of ability, with some subject areas also offering specific clubs for the Gifted and Talented.

Artistic Clubs on offer include:

Prep

Choir, Orchestra, Recorder Club, Ocarina Club, Speech lessons, Individual music lessons, Drama Club, Dance Club, 2 Art Clubs and a ‘Knitting and Weaving’ Club.

Senior

Choir, Orchestra, Jazz Group, African Drumming, Year 7 Drama club, Year 8/9 Drama Club, 3 Art Clubs, Craft Club, Photography Club, Video Editing Club, Speech Lessons, School Productions (Wizard of Oz and Anne Frank), Music Technology Club, Dance Academy, Individual Music Lessons, Guitar Club.

Facilities

Our Performing Arts Suite - incorporating a dance/drama studio, a main music classroom and several practice and rehearsal rooms is used by pupils in the Prep and Senior School alike. Art is taught in our Art Studio and pupils' work displayed around the school.

A review of 2008/09

In the past year, the school staged well over twenty public productions, concerts and exhibitions as well as performing for the local community and taking part in regional choir festivals.

 

Our productions of The Wizard of Oz and The Diary of Anne Frank were awarded highly commended in the Knights of St Columba Drama Awards. Samran Ahmed of Year 8 received a commendation for his performance of the Wizard and Katie Trevor in Year 11 took the prestigious Edgar Andrews Trophy for the best individual performance for her interpretation of Otto Frank. 

 

100% Success in ABRSM instrumental and theory exams

In the summer term both the Senior School and Preparatory School choirs took part in the Leamington Spa Choir Festival.  Giving their best performance to date, the Senior School Choir was awarded a commendation for their rendition of Make me a Channel of Your Peace.  The Preparatory choir was awarded ‘Distinction’ for their performance of Shine Jesus Shine and Any Dream Will Do.  Their performances were described by the judges as:  " An excellent performance technically and artistically ….You sang with much commitment and style! Lovely!”

 

This year also saw the introduction of arts days for both the Preparatory and Senior Schools – whole school days devoted to encouraging the children to taste and explore new artistic activities.  African drumming workshops, mask-making workshops, ballroom, street and Asian dance sessions plus landscape painting workshops were just some of the activities on offer. 

 

80 children, from Year 1 through to Year 11, performed in the

Afternoon Tea and Music concerts held throughout the year

50 Year 7 children performed in the Music and Mince Pies concerts,

following their free term of instrumental tuition.

Alongside their own artistic performances, the pupils enjoyed many school trips to learn from the professionals.  In the autumn term, staff and pupils from the senior school visited London where they took part in a pre-performance workshop with members of the West End production of Wicked before seeing the show.  The trip also included visits to some of the capital’s attractions including the London Eye, a boat trip down the Thames and a visit to the new Wembley Stadium.

 

Years 1 and 2 went to see Beauty and the Beast performed at the Theatre Royal Bath and Years 3 to 6 saw the stage version of Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo at the Old Rep. Our senior school dance students enjoyed Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Hippodrome and our GCSE drama students managed to fit in trips to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and These Four Streets based on actual testimony from people involved in the Lozell’s riots along with Blood Brothers.

 

Further details of the arts at Priory School can be found in our Arts Policy.

For more information on all aspects of our arts provision in the senior school vist the performing arts faculty section of website by clicking here