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In January 2012, classrooms were transformed into art studios for the week as the children got busy for Art Week.  The focus was on the children practising, learning and developing art skills, culminating in a finished piece of work relating to their topic.  The children were given the opportunity to record from first-hand observation and explore ideas.  They used a variety of materials and art processes throughout the week.

We were also lucky enough to have a real life artist support some of the children with their work.  The week ended with parents and carers being invited to come in and view their child’s work.  The work each class has produced is fantastic and shows a wide range of art, craft and design throughout the school.

If you weren’t able to drop in, here are some examples of the processes and art work that were created throughout Art Week.

Sally Reed and Jess Aldous (Art Leaders)

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Our Creative Curriculum

At Canonbury, our child-led curriculum aims to be unique, exciting, relevant, diverse and innovative .  We base our planning around Curriculum Themes, which reflect the children’s interests and include reference to our community. As part of our curriculum we also cover annual key events, such as Anti-Bullying Week and Black History Month.  We celebrate the diversity in our community and endeavour to ensure our curriculum is culturally and socially relevant to the children who make up our school community.  As well as making up an important part of our day to day curriculum, this year, the school has also held celebrations for the Autumn and Winter Festivals, including a Diwali Day, Christmas Concerts and a Firework Party organised by our PTA.

Our curriculum leaders and our class teachers ensure there is clear progression of skills and opportunities for creativity, by planning from the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. We use our evaluations and assessments to continually update our curriculum maps, and to stay relevant and up to date, we use online resources such as Espresso to ensure that we cover new events on a local, national and international scale. We endeavour to create opportunities for enterprise and ingenuity to prepare children for the future and embrace all opportunities to involve members of our school community in all this processes.  In particular, we are fortunate at Canonbury to work alongside visiting organisations such as Cubitt Artists, who add a different dimension to our curriculum and enable children to learn and develop their skills from professionals.

Music opportunities at Canonbury Primary School.



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Key Stage One and Two have a music assembly, which takes place once a week on a Monday morning.

There is a Key Stage One choir and a Key Stage Two Choir at Canonbury School. The Key Stage 2 Choir took part in the wonderful Islington Choir which performed at the Music for All awards at the Royal Albert Hall two weeks ago.

At Canonbury School there are currently clarinet and trumpet lessons that take place with Year 5 on a Monday morning with music tutors from Music First. These lessons have been very popular and the children’s own comments can be seen in the news section of the school website at www.canonburyprimaryschool.co.uk

On a Thursday after school, children from Year 5 have the opportunity to take part in ‘The Hub’ at Highbury Grove School. This is a great opportunity for the children to meet other pupils from local schools in Islington. The children also take part in a singing session with the choir and then they continue to learn the clarinet.

Currently at Canonbury School; violin, orchestra and piano lessons take place. Parents make a payment for their children to take part in these lessons. After school on a Monday there is an opportunity for the pupils from Canonbury School and other local schools to take one to one piano lessons with a piano tutor (parents make payment to Camb-ed and Elena Moore and Lindsey the piano teacher organise this).

Scott Stroman and Sarah Wilkinson have been leading all the children from across the school in a musical project which has engaged every class. This will culminate in a musical concert which will take place on the 7^th December 2011 at The Union Chapel. Ginny Strawson will also be leading a piece for the orchestra to perform.

Kirsty Wilcockson from Music First is currently teaching the Nursery and the Reception classes Music on a Monday morning. These are lively, interactive sessions and all children and adults get involved.

From February half term the new Head of Brass, Dan Hunt, a joint appointment (2 days a week at Canonbury) with Highbury Grove School will be joining us. Dan will be teaching brass in small groups across key year groups and will also develop a brass band and ensemble work at both Canonbury and Highbury Grove. Dan is currently Head of Stevenage’s Music Service.

In January Matt, I and Sara will be working to engage all stakeholders in formalizing the three year vision for Music at Canonbury. We are beginning this term with a pupil and staff survey as a starting point for the journey.

Samantha Matthew