Swift Class

The adults in Swift Class are Miles, Val and Althea

Creative Learning in Swift Class

In a busy and creative year so far, Swift Class have looked at the topics of the Victorians and Amazing Asia. Excitingly, in this term’s art focus on Islamic art, the children were lucky enough to meet artist Zarah Hussain whose work centres on the beauty to be found in geometry.  Not only was it an amazing opportunity to hear first-hand from an artist what motivates her work but the children spent an afternoon with Zarah creating their own colourful geometric patterns.

 Our Victorian dress up day this year provided an exciting and immersive experience when Swift Class time travelled back to the 1840s. We looked at the photographic work of botanist Anna Atkins and then created our own cyanotypes - photographs powered by the sun! Through freeze-frame drama we took snapshots of Victorian life from servants to circus, from school children to street child. The children experienced what life was like for the poor working in factories and even endured a lesson in a Victorian school!

Working with our art specialist Ed Berriman, our knowledge of the Victorians was further explored by looking at the work of local artist William Morris. The children drew from nature, created motifs and then using a combination of polystyrene and lino block created their own wallpaper designs and flower prints.

 In English and reading, our class are currently gripped by the tale of ‘The Girl Who Stole an Elephant’ by Nizrana Farook. Chaya, the hero and jewel thief, is a girl on a Robin Hood style mission to save her friends, pitching her wits against a merciless king. This exciting tale, set against the idyllic backdrop of Sri Lanka is the diving off point for our exploration of creative story writing and speech writing.