This half term, our school has been brimming with creativity as we make great strides towards achieving the Artsmark accreditation. Across all classrooms and beyond, the arts have been embraced in exciting and impactful ways. Below is a snapshot of the many inspiring initiatives and activities taking place:

Integrating arts and cultural activities into the curriculum

To support our teachers in integrating the arts across subjects, we hosted a professional development session focused on embedding creative teaching methods and the arts across the Junior Curriculum. Staff left feeling inspired to use various art forms to make lessons more engaging and dynamic. As a result, we’ve seen Year 6 students use acro gymnastics to model mountain formations in their geography lessons, while Year 5 participated in an exciting rap battle to explore their class novel. Year 4 explored poetry through performance and Year 3 integrated art and crafting into their creative writing. Year 2 took full advantage of the new printing press to enhance their science topic, while Year 1 used song to write persuasive letters. Reception embraced their topic with fun junk modelling activities, bringing creativity to life in their classroom.

We also celebrated our first-ever Mother Tongue Morning, where members of our school community led workshops teaching the pupils about different languages. From paper crafts and storytelling to a special Spanish workshop at lunchtime, it was a wonderful opportunity for our girls and their parents to share their cultures, languages and heritage with one another. 

Enrichment for all

Our enrichment programme continues to thrive, offering diverse opportunities for students to engage with the arts and beyond. Year 12 had the chance to meet Simon Parker, author of a new book on America, who led a fascinating workshop on media bias. Wendy Wyss also ran a social media skills workshop for Years 12 and 13, helping students navigate the digital world.

We also took a trip to see Six the Musical, with students from Years 7-11 attending the performance. It was a fantastic experience for the students, who enjoyed the lively performances and vibrant energy of the show, further sparking their passion for the arts.

Encouraging our students to enter competitions is another way we aim to enrich our girls’ experiences, providing them with opportunities to challenge themselves and showcase their talents. We are proud to share that one of our students, Yana, recently took part in the Articulation Prize 2025, a national art public speaking competition. Chosen from our internal heats, she presented a confident and insightful talk on Tracey Emin’s My Bed at Dulwich Picture Gallery, impressing the judges with her fresh take on the artwork and its themes. Yana’s exceptional performance earned her a place in the Articulation Alumni Network, opening doors to future opportunities in the art world.

Our diverse range of clubs has continued to flourish. Whether it’s music ensembles, performing arts, creative crafts or STEAM challenges, there’s something for everyone to discover and enjoy. 

Building strong connections within and beyond our community

We have just hosted the GDST Junior Sing event, which brought together 9 GDST schools from across the country for a day of music-making. Students participated in vocal and body percussion workshops with Charles Béquignon-MacDougall and Ollie Tunmer from ‘The Beat Goes On’. The day culminated in a performance, where the girls showcased everything they’d worked on. It was a fantastic opportunity for students from across the GDST network to connect and make music together.

Additionally, we hosted a SHINE lunch with the Heads of SHINE schools, including St James, New Cross, Poverest and Southborough, to discuss how we can continue to expand the Shine programme, integrating more creative activities to complement STEAM education. This aligns with our commitment to make learning accessible through diverse avenues and enrich our community.

The Junior School has revamped how they start their assemblies. They’ve introduced Feel Good Fridays at the beginning of their Celebration Assemblies, where staff recommend their favourite songs to highlight the power of music in bringing people together. In addition, Senior Music Scholars have been opening some assemblies with inspiring performances, setting a positive tone for the day and motivating younger students to explore and pursue music.

Another way we’ve been building connections within our community is through the Marjorie McClure Elective, a standout opportunity for our sixth form students to volunteer at a school for children with additional needs. Isabell, a Sixth Form student, shared her experience:

“As part of our sixth form elective, I volunteer at Marjorie McClure school for children with additional needs. I have only been a few times so far but for me, working with these children has been such a rewarding experience. Something I think I will gain from this experience is a deeper understanding of the daily lives of those with additional needs. It has taught me patience and given me a greater knowledge of how to communicate with each child. It has been very eye opening to see the challenges that these children and the teachers go through each day, and you can really see the care that the school has for each and every child with the adaptations that they provide in order for the children to excel.”

This is a wonderful example of how our students are giving back to the community while also developing valuable skills for the future.

Inspiring students to narrate their own stories

We’ve had an abundance of opportunities for students to share their voices and narrate their own stories this term. Students from across the school have been leading initiatives, participating in committees, and even taking the lead in assemblies. In addition, our Mini-Mini Minerva Lecture Series continues to inspire, with students presenting on a wide range of topics from sports to culture.

A highlight this term has been the exciting new project from our Arts Council – a collaborative origami bird installation. This school-wide initiative will involve students from Reception to Sixth Form, creating a beautiful example of creativity and collaboration across all year groups. We can’t wait to see it take shape!

Looking ahead

This is just a snapshot of the exciting arts and cultural activities happening at our school as we work towards Artsmark accreditation. From integrating the arts into the curriculum to fostering connections within our community, we are committed to enriching education through creativity.

If you have ideas or would like to get involved, whether through creative workshops, guest speaking or student-led initiatives, we would love to hear from you. Additionally, if you’ve been involved in arts, community or cultural activities, either inside or outside of school, we’d love to celebrate your achievements as part of our Artsmark journey.