Coughs and sneezes

In the last month or so we have been working with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) to monitor and support schools in the face of the swine flu pandemic. Intially it was treated according to the plans prepared earlier which assumed a more serious illness than the one that we actually seem to have. It is, in most cases, slightly milder than seasonal flu. It currently seems unlikely that the illness will cause serious concerns for most of us but it may be the case that continuity in education could be a problem through spasmodic bouts of pupil and staff absence through autumn and winter.
In the circumstances it may be sensible to give some thought to how education could be sustained if the curriculum becomes disrupted. So I have begun to set out some ideas on the Bucks Grid for Learning. I have also opened up a collaborative page (called a wiki if anyone is interested) so art teachers could share ideas and comments. You will need to logon to Bucksgfl using your username and password to contribute - although anyone should be able to read it. It can be used by primary and secondary teachers and I rather like the idea of cross phase co-operation. In truth I set up the wiki because I am intrigued at the opportunity to work together in the face of a common issue using this simple technology. So swine flu is not a dire emergency to be solved but an excuse to try something out. Do have a look and contribute if you can.

Parking

Saw this in a school last week. Hierarchies alive and well.

Gifted and Talented

Earlier this term I wrote about two 6th form students who were clearly gifted and whose choice of career seemed almost predetermined by their natural ability. They were going to follow degree courses in architecture and stage design.

Today in Turnfurlong Infants School I found a third pupil who displayed extraordinary talent. This time she is six years old. Her ceramic rat is extraordinary. The shape of the muzzle, eye sockets and flattened forehead shows an ability to understand and model form with a maturity and mastery which is way beyond her age. I was able to talk to Leah and to confirm that it was her own work and that she worked from a picture. It is true that her grandmother is a potter and her father an architect but the modelling is her own and she described how she constructed it over a paper and bubble wrap body which burned off in the kiln - six years old.

To conclude this post it is interesting to note this other small ceramic sculture. This time from a sixth form student at the Royal Grammar School. He had made a set of small nudes all developed from an extruded clay tube. It makes a nice counterpoint.

On Display

Coming in to work this morning through Aylesbury shopping centre it was good to see a set of large panels from the Cottesloe School. They are from Year 9 students and follow study of Japanese art including Manga. Really impressive well done Cottesloe art department.

Cross Fertilisation.

I saw this work in Haddenham Junior School a couple of weeks ago. Its based on Clarice Cliffe and pupils had to design the shape and the decoration.

It was interesting to note the cross-over of practice from secondary to primary phase, because I first saw this exercise in Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School five years earlier. Here it was by 6th form students. It is not uncommon to see ideas for work being passed around secondary schools but it is quite unusual to see ideas cross phases in this way.

Textiles and Tracey

SWR09 (9)
Originally uploaded by bucksart

Spent time this evening at Sir William Ramsey (Arts College). As always a superb show. Its intriguing to see how work continues to evolve and develop in this department. A particular strength is in the textiles which are always exquisite and never fail to delight. Interesting to see the way that some students this year are using stitching to draw with. There are similar echoes of Tracey Emin in the work of some other schools such as the large stitched nudes from Aylesbury High. These can be seen in this years gallery on Flickr.