Working to a magical theme and with natural materials, walkers on the beach were amazed at staff and children enthusiastically creating a fire-breathing dragon at West Wittering.

Artist Jane Ashley-Brian found it great fun and extremely rewarding to spark the children's imagination. This led to groups designing their own magical gardens, which will be a wonderful stimulus for Years 1 and 2's individual creative writing.

The autumn weather was kind to us, enabling Mrs Hillier to lead a drama activity to end the day - 'Dragon Attack!' Children became snapping crabs and jumping starfish, to name just a few.

The close of the spring term was marked with the Lower Prep’s Easter Celebration and Bonnet Parade. Classes from Nursery to Year 2 entertained one another with songs, dances and stories celebrating Easter. Children and parents had put much energy and creativity into an amazing array of Easter Bonnets, raising further funds for the Good Shepherd Appeal and making it very difficult to decide the competition winners.

I was one of ten Year 6s that read to the Year 2s. It was really fun! We read The Enormous Turnip and The Elves and The Shoe Maker to them. They acted it out and we took it in turns to read. It was really good.
Later we went into the Welsford Hall to do some dancing with Mme Hoyet, who teaches Spanish in the Senior School. We danced to La Bamba and in the end even Mrs Wilson joined in! There is an English version and a Spanish version. Mme Hoyet said that it means that you have to have a little bit of grace. It is a really famous song and we all knew it. It got us very hot, although it was worth it!

Year One had a special treat during Creative Arts week. Science Coordinator Mr Walker talked about the Rain Forests and what trees do for us. Through discussion the children were encouraged to think about the various uses made of paper, where it comes from, and the importance of recycling. Then the children had first hand experience of making paper. They worked hard tearing used paper into small pieces and then added water. Many hands did a lot of squashing and squeezing and to the children’s great delight porridge like pulp was created. This was placed in water and a little glue and everyone enjoyed the final task spreading the mixture out to dry. This was a great experience and the children are now looking forward to writing on their freshly made paper. 

Open to teachers from other schools

Children in Years 1 and 2 revelled in the space and freedom provided by West Wittering which provided the perfect setting for a wonderful art and dance experience inspired by artist and teacher Mrs Ashley Brian and dance and drama teacher Mrs Hillier. Collecting stones of different colours, shells, seaweed and driftwood to create a collage on the beach, fascinated the children and they began to understand for themselves what has inspired artists like Goldsworthy. Stones with sparkly centres, some smooth and worn with holes in the middle, became precious treasures and brought home the amazing diversity of natural objects. Shape, colour and texture were brought to life as the collage took shape. As the clouds thinned and the sun shone, many questions were raised by the dramatically changing seascape.’ Why is the sea so blue now’? Why is it so sparkly’? ‘How does the tide go out’?