Creative Arts - Music, Drama and Art

Music & Choir

Music at Bryanston Prep

We encourage pupils to see the world with a creative eye from the classroom to the stage and the trees they climb in the forest. Through our creative arts curriculum we create opportunities and space for all our pupils to develop their talents and explore their own creativity.

All children are involved with music. Whether it’s singing together as a whole school, class or choir, music strengthens and enriches our family-focused community.

For those wanting to strengthen their music skills, either with singing or a musical instrument, we offer individual study and tutoring.

Motivating children to perform in front of their class, school and to parents at an event, helps develop resilience and confidence. Children not performing ‘on stage’ support their peers, watching them from the audience and giving support and encouragement.

Termly whole-school music concerts involve all our children in some capacity, from beginners to those playing at Grade 6 level. Everyone is encouraged to perform. Popular house music and dance competitions are a highlight and take place along with concerts in the senior school’s state-of-the-art theatre and music school. It is particularly heartening to see senior Sixth Form musicians and dance pupils working with our younger pupils, in preparation for competitions.

Alongside our annual events we also listen to the children and value their ideas and feedback. This leads to extra ensembles each year as we help our budding musicians achieve their goals. We’ve had everything from the Alpha Folk Song Group to a Rock Band!

Fun and immersive creative arts

Whether it’s through visual arts, design and technology, music, drama, or dance, we will encourage your child to explore and express their ideas and individuality, helping develop confidence and a strong sense of self.

Through our Creative Arts programme, children learn to navigate challenges, adapt their ideas, and develop innovative strategies and skills that are transferable to academic and real-life situations.

Developing confidence and resilience, Creative Arts at Bryanston Prep provides an environment where children can experiment and learn from both their successes and setbacks.

Highly qualified and experienced visiting specialists

We are fortunate to have a team of ten highly qualified and experienced visiting specialists who come to the school to deliver personalised one to one tuition. This can be with instruments, including the trumpet, violin, cello, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, and piano, or voice/singing tuition.

78% of pupils learn a musical instrument at Bryanston prep with 25% of those studying two or more.

The independent work and time-management skills children develop through individual musical study are highly impressive to senior schools. Recent music scholarships include Bryanston, Clayesmore, Sherborne Girls, St Mary’s Calne, Leweston and Godolphin.

In the last few years Bryanston Senior School pupils have won music scholarships to Oxford University and The Sixteen.

Immense professionalism

The jewel in the crown of music at Bryanston Prep has always been the Chapel Choir. They perform regularly including singing three anthems for an ‘OK Magazine’ wedding in Sherborne Abbey and two for the christening of a future pupil locally!

Chapel Choir lead our regular church services with exceptionally fine singing and immense professionalism.

Art and design technology

When you visit the Art and Design department at Bryanston Prep you will discover a dynamic space where children explore and tackle a diverse range of exciting projects. Children learn to appreciate and use a wide range of mediums. Unharnessing their own unique creativity, energy, and enthusiasm they go on to produce unique pieces of artwork.

All children love to be creative. Our inspiring art and design technology classes help children explore a range of creative avenues. Teachers support them in exploring perspective, experimental, life and observational techniques.

Three-dimensional sculptures are created and manipulated using wire, clay, papier mâché and book art. With the aid of a large printing press, foam, lino, collagraph and screen prints are created by our budding artists.

Drama

Pupils in years 7 & 8 attend specialist design & technology classes.

The Art Room

The art room is an inspiring space bursting with creativity. It is used by our children from as early as Year 1 for at least one hour per week, allowing them to be inspired by this creative space from a young age.

Art lessons are about encouraging curiosity for the world around us; the shape, form, texture, and colour of our lives as seen through the eyes of the children who will go on to interpret their thoughts, feelings, and emotions creatively.

Our art room is always open for the children well beyond the working weekly lessons. Lunchtime art clubs are brimming with budding artists, and our boarders enjoy spending time in the art room at weekends taking part in creative workshops. It is a place where children grow and flourish in a secure environment, fostering a strong sense of community through valuing the worth of each individual and their artistic achievements.
Enriching art programmes for scholars

Our dedicated art department runs an exciting programme for art scholars where contemporary artists’ work is discussed. It is here where sophisticated and challenging conversations take place amongst our children. A sketchbook enrichment session is offered to all pupils, particularly those considering scholarships.

Thoughts, feelings, emotions, responsibilities and experiences are explored, and how these can be interpreted through art. Children are encouraged to apply their own style of work to develop an individual creative identity.

There are no rights or wrongs in the art room. All children are artists, using their unique interpretation of the world around them to create work which is celebrated.

We look at a wide range of artists from broad backgrounds to research and promote artwork. Different cultures and their influences on the art world are studied and children talk about how culture affects the art it inspires. This could be anything from Islamic tiles to Africa tribal masks and beyond.

Discrimination within artwork is also explored. We look at how this can affect and influence an artist’s creative process and work. Discussions on artwork and artists’ beliefs take place to help children make connections between what is similar and what is different to their own. To value difference between themselves and another’s viewpoint is encouraged.

Children are encouraged to discuss, comment and contribute throughout the creative process. Their input is valued, whether discussing an artist’s, their own, or each other’s work. Self-evaluation is an important skill, and children do so during all stages of the creative process, using project diaries to map individual achievement.
A practical approach to design technology

Design Technology takes on a more practical approach at Bryanston Prep. Children are taught to confidently hand and machine sew, generate expressive graphics, explore the realms of product design and cook a range of basic healthy balanced meals.

Design Technology lessons are taught weekly to Years 3–8 for 1 hour. The overall emphasis is on the process of creativity and the confidence that can be gained through this process of working practically.

Drama

From pre-prep onwards, our children are encouraged to perform. Confidence, collaboration, concentration and communication are key skills for Drama classes .. and in life! What’s more, it’s great fun!

Speaking and listening activities are a vibrant aspect of English lessons. We host an annual Public Speaking Competition, with children from Year 2 upwards participating.

Beyond the KED curriculum, children take part in drama workshops and visit productions at local senior schools. We also regularly invite professional theatre groups into school.

Every Christmas, pre-prep brings its version of the nativity story to the stage. Our yearly Junior and Senior productions are also eagerly anticipated by all.

Children enjoy the process of creating their own productions. They can get involved whether they are a budding thespian or not, as there are lots of fun roles for them to play behind the scenes.

Pre-production involves writing dialogue, creating scenery and making props. Pupils learn to be adaptable and flexible when the budget is slightly less than that of a Hollywood blockbuster!

Art and Design Technology

Lessons are fun and engaging and filming is used to encourage children to watch, learn and develop. We offer a wide range of exams including:

Devised

Creating own scenes & experimenting with language
Public Speaking

Creating own speech, debating different topics
Acting and Verse and Prose

Learning about literature, voice, gestures, and movement
Mime

Creating own scenes, gesture, and movement
Reading for Performance

Exploring themes and getting used to reading to a wider audience

Extra information

Term dates

Details of events taking place during the school term can be found on the school calendar.

Ask a member of the Bryanston Prep School team a question.

Open mornings

We encourage parents to visit the school and hold regular open mornings.