Banbury primary school brings term to a close with art show

Last year the pupils were inspired by nature but this year the focus turned to portraits with students, from two-year-olds to the 11 year-olds, creating likenesses of their favourite sports stars, celebrities and themselves in a number of different media.

Art coordinator at the school, Jodie Shaw, said: "It's a really wonderful opportunity for the students to do extra art on top of what is on the curriculum and I'm always really impressed with how the children and the staff get on board with it.

"What I like is the range of art that we have got. We've got children using clay, cardboard masks, sketching, collages, a really nice range of art."

Head teacher, Amy Rogers, added: "In term two we had a really big art focus. Every child in the school has produced at least one work of art. It has really helped increase the engagement in the classes, it really helps children to focus, those who find learning more tricky in the art lessons actually thrive.

"It gives children that ability to find something that they're really good at."

The school have also been working on an art project with newly opened Bromford's Park Gardens retirement living and extra care development in Bath Road with some of the results of that partnership also on display.

Claire Richardson, Bromford’s sales manager, said: "We did a colouring competition on the theme of 'when I grow up' so all the kids sent their art work in. We have also done book tokens and sponsored their library.

“We received some brilliant entries which are now hanging proudly in the Hobbies Room at Park Gardens. This partnership will go from strength to strength and last week students also came to perform a carol service before breaking up for Christmas which was a pretty special occasion.”

Amy added: "They've given us £500 to for new library books and to update the reading space for children to help with engagement and their vocabulary."

Claire added: "We wanted to join in with the community and our owners have loved the fact that they've had lots of children's portraits all over our walls."