Creative ArtsWhere creativity comes to life

All our children take part in the performing and creative arts, which are a joyful and integral part of life at our school.

We nurture creativity and self-expression from an early age, with generous curriculum time and specialist teachers. Whether it’s a Shakespeare production, a musical, or pottery for our annual art exhibition, the arts are at the heart of school life.

We dance, sing, and create together. This engagement builds confidence, teamwork, and a strong sense of self. Our choirs, orchestras, ensembles, and collaborative art shows are all about encouragement, collaboration, and shared pride.

Many children go on to take art, drama or dance to scholarship level. But all benefit from a broad and deep education that extends far beyond the classroom — and it’s this richness that makes our children so happy and fulfilled.

Drama

Drama at Barrow Hills is for all, helping the building of confidence, creativity and expressive skills. Our pupils can perform, write, direct or contribute to technical theatre, supported by our highly skilled teachers. Opportunities are further enriched through workshops, visits from theatre companies, drama trips, and LAMDA sessions, in which over 40 pupils won awards last year. As part of the core English curriculum all pupils will prepare for a major production each year, with the recent repertoire for older pupils including ‘A Midsummers Night Dream’, ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘Annie’.

Music

Music at Barrow Hills is accessed by all our pupils, whether they are just beginning or developing advanced skills. Children benefit from 1:1 lessons, graded examinations, enrichment activities with visiting music teachers, and inspiring trips to live performances and events. We offer a very strong choral programme, including three choirs, with the eldest pupils able to perform at Bridewell Royal Hospital events. We are also fortunate to share a professional music department with King Edward’s Witley, and so offer a particularly high standard of specialist staff provision. We have a well provisioned music department, including a Mac suite for composition. We sing together, as a School, on a weekly basis and share that joy with our parents.

Dance

Dance encourages creativity, confidence and physical expression. Through structured classes, workshops and performances, children explore a variety of styles and have opportunities to perform in school shows and other special occasions, supported by expert teaching and visiting specialists.

Art & Design

Art and Design at Barrow Hills is vibrant, ambitious, and exceptionally well resourced. Our studios, set within the historic stable block, provide an inspiring creative environment, equipped with everything from a pottery kiln to 3D printers. Specialist teaching begins in Reception, led by our Head of Art and Design alongside visiting artists in residence.

Pupils experience both breadth and depth, exploring line, paint, sculpture, wood carving, print, textiles, fashion design, and 3D work, all underpinned by high expectations and excellent standards. Children contribute to our much-loved Annual Art Exhibition, when the Chapel is transformed into a gallery reminiscent of Tate Britain.

For pupils with particular talent or interest, our Art Scholarship Programme offers extension through portfolio development, art theory, and visiting artist workshops, including screen printing.

Our woodland setting strongly informs creative work, with sustainable, place-based projects such as the Living Willow Dome Classroom, designed and woven by the children. Art and Design is purposeful and connected, frequently linking with subjects such as Science to deepen understanding of the natural world.

Admissions

We warmly invite you to experience the magic of our school where our children flourish academically, socially and emotionally, to talk to pupils and teachers about what makes our school such a special place, and to answer any questions you have about life here.

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