"A child’s imagination is the cornerstone of the boundless creative energy we encourage at Clifton High School."
Mrs Alice Taylor, Head of Infant & Junior School
Clifton High School’s Creative Arts curriculum is one that nurtures young talent to ignite imagination and extract the confidence and skills necessary to unleash all pupils’ creative energy. It is an avenue for children to flourish emotionally where they can explore ideas, stimulate their imagination, unearth talent and be exposed to a lifetime journey of art and culture.
Artistic development, at any year group level, plays a vital role in a child’s education with far-reaching benefits and the tools for children to think creatively, innovate and appreciate the far-reaching value of the arts, all whilst maximising their own creative flair. Music, theatre, art and photography are incorporated into Clifton High School’s curriculum from the outset, developed throughout all the Year groups.
As a School, we believe that ‘artistry’ is a voice that all individuals can use to express themselves and in us providing a diverse mix of initiatives, we can ensure the arts are accessible for each of our pupils to explore and develop whilst fully maximising their talents.
Our enriching offerings include:
Speech and Drama
Speech and Drama is incorporated into the teaching curriculum as well as offered as an ancillary co-curricular club, beyond the School timetable. These lessons foster the following qualities and life skills:
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Communication – establishing and developing pupils’ oral communication skills to improve upon clarity, articulation, projection and self-expression.
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Confidence – cultivating the building of pupils’ confidence to address and engage an audience.
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Creativity and Imagination – stimulating pupils’ exploratory approach to being creative and imaginative in their performing abilities.
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Empathy – working closely with their peers, pupils become aware of and work towards an active engagement and empathy to show and perceive emotions as well as improve self-expression.
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Improvisation and Role Play – encouraging pupils to be spontaneous and playful in role play exercises, activities and games.
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Critical Thinking – evaluating their own and others’ performances is a valuable skill that pupils are taught to approach with a positive and collaborative attitude.
Speech and Drama is a subject that offers a holistic framework, supporting the foundations necessary for our Infant and Junior School pupils’ all-rounded success. We use our in-house Rose Theatre stage to equip and help prepare them to be understanding of their individual role in the world as they partake in class and parent assemblies, festive nativity plays and the Year 6 end of term performance.
“Year 6’s participation in The Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival is vital to their learning journey. Not only is their knowledge of Shakespeare enhanced, so too are their imaginations and creativity as they translate the chosen play in the classroom to the stage”.
Mrs Helen Tabb, Head of Curriculum – Infants & Juniors
After months of dedicated rehearsals, on Monday 19th February 2024 our Year 6 pupils performed an abridged version of The Tempest at The Coram Shakespeare Festival. The children were awarded with an introduction as well as a back-stage tour to showcase the management and lighting of Bristol’s Tobacco Factory, before they took to the stage for their much-anticipated performance.
Fast forward to 2025, Clifton High School will join forces with AS Creatives – an enterprise that delivers curriculum linked creative learning programmes and teaching resources through in-house workshops. Our Year 6 pupils will be immersed in a hands-on Shakespeare experience through a series of carefully structured drama activities that delve into the plot, characters, themes and backstory.
Music
Clifton High School’s vibrant music scene is one that is embedded into the curriculum as well as the co-curricular programme. It is far-reaching to ignite the love of music; nurturing our younger pupils’ creativity whilst creating a safe space for them to collaborate with each other. Our early introduction of the subject develops performance skills to help pupils grow in confidence as they perform in front of a live audience.
“Introducing music lessons in the Infant & Junior School fosters a lifelong passion in the beauty of melodies whilst igniting the fun and spirit of the subject”.
Mr Andrew Cleaver, Head of Junior School Music
We are fortunate to have an industry-standard recording studio within our Music Department and offers a space for our younger pupils to explore technology’s vital role in the creative industries.
Clifton High School hosts a series of pupil-led musical performances throughout the year including our festive nativity play and carol concert, regular concerts, assemblies and the Year 6 end of term performance. Featuring soloists, ensembles and band performances they showcase the diversity within our music community with all occasions serving as opportunities for our younger pupils to work with older year groups.
Art
A canvas for creativity, our Infant and Junior Art curriculum allows pupils to experiment with a variety of mediums, from drawing, painting and sculpture to ceramics, digital media and animation. Children are encouraged to express themselves in a variety of ways by developing practical skills whilst also growing their knowledge of the arts and the work of contemporary and traditional artists and designers. We introduce specialist art tuition in Year 6 as children are prepared to build relationships with dedicated subject teachers in the Senior School.
Clifton High School actively participates in Bristol’s Annual Arts Trail, visiting local communities to expose pupils to the wider world of art.
Technology Carousel
Our Junior School children are fortunate to experience a range of technology-based subjects through their timetabled ‘Technology Carousel’ lessons. Consisting of coding, woodwork, product design, food and nutrition, Year 3 to 6 pupils are exposed to hands-on learning in specialist suites, preparing them for an increased engagement in the Senior School.
Conclusion
We are incredibly proud of what we cultivate in our younger years Creative Arts curriculum. From the stage to the technology, our Infant and Junior School teachers are adept at encouraging pupils to explore, experiment and excel in their selected artistic pursuits.
We hope you continue to enjoy the threads of creativity weaved throughout the Infant and Junior School as we, in turn, endeavour to inspire and ignite imaginations.
