• St Marys College
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The Arts can provide a key to unlock children’s imagination and creative abilities. Our Art course has been designed to encourage students to have a broad, imaginative approach to their work, whilst following the guidelines established in the National Curriculum. They will examine perspective, colour theory, 3D and 2D form, texture, pattern, light and shade, working with a wide range of materials, tools and techniques. There is a strong emphasis on the teaching of basic drawing skills in the first term of each year, and throughout the course students will look at the work of artists, craft-workers and designers to inform and enrich their own work.

The Design and Technology course builds on the practical skills and the design and technological capabilities developed at Key Stage 2. Students will identify needs, design solutions to meet these needs, make their design, and evaluate the success of their work. Discussion, not just practical expertise, forms a very important part of learning in this subject, in helping to identify what is needed to fulfil a design brief.

Drama is regarded as an integral part of English studies and oral work has an important place in the teaching approach. All students are taught basic acting techniques. This engenders self-confidence for public speaking and prepares for later life. There are frequent theatre visits to both workshops and performances. The highlight of the year is the annual theatrical production. All the pupils are encouraged to participate, and frequently up to 100 students are involved in either acting or backstage and technical capacities. Past College productions include ‘The Royal Hunt of the Sun’, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘The Wind in the Willows’, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Bugsy Malone’, ‘Oliver Twist’ and 'Arabian Nights'.

Many of our students have gone on to make careers both in the theatre and in television. Lawrence Till is Artistic Director of the Watford Palace Theatre and is shortly to direct his first feature film. Patrick Garland, a former artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre, has been responsible for many West End and Broadway successes. Paul McNamara was the producer of Match Of The Day and now holds a similar post in sports broadcasting in ITV. Rupert Hill, whose first major role as Mole, in Wind in the Willows was at the College, is starring as Jamie Baldwin in Coronation Street. John Titcombe is a technical director at the Hampstead Theatre in London and Peter Fisher is a freelance video editor working in television.