The Arts at Harris Academy Wimbledon
The Arts are an integral part of Harris Academy Wimbledon, the aim is to give all students the opportunity to think creatively, develop self-confidence and to create an atmosphere which encourages all students to be themselves.
Our curriculum is diverse and enables students of all backgrounds, experiences and standards to engage and think and appreciate the arts around them. Students have discrete Art, Music, Drama and Design & Technology lessons each week, in all year groups throughout Key Stage 3, Dance is taken as part of the PE curriculum and they then have the opportunity to choose these subjects at GCSE. The arts are regularly used to support learning cross curricular as well.
The facilities at Harris Academy Wimbledon for the arts are second to none, in the Performing Arts Department we have a Drama Studio equipped with full lighting and sound; a main theatre space in which we host our productions; two music classrooms, which are equipped with keyboards and ‘iMac’ computers, so students can create their own compositions; five practice rooms, an ensemble room and a recording studio; we also have a Dance studio, where our Dance lessons and Dance extra-curricular clubs take place. In the Art and Design & Technology Department, we have a fully operational Food Technology Room and workshop which contains state of the art machinery; such as an A2 laser cutter and a 3D printer. We also have a photography suite, a textiles lab, a photography darkroom, and a specialist ceramics room.
As you can see, we are extremely fortunate, and students are able to use all these facilities which we believe enhances the teaching and fosters the students love of learning within the arts.
At Harris Academy Wimbledon, we pride ourselves on the extensive extra-curricular opportunities that are provided within the school and this can be seen greatly within the arts. We offer Ceramics Club, Food Club, Graphic Design Club as well as Brass Band, Choir and Upper and Lower Academy Players to name a few.
Our professional designed theatre space allows us to put on numerous shows across the year, for the school and the wider community, from music concerts to whole school musical productions. We are also keen to allow students to get involved with these productions in whichever way they want, including learning about the technical elements of the theatre, from becoming our lighting and sound crew, to designing the set and costumes. Students learn how, through teamwork large-scale performance comes together.
Not only do we have an incredible set of music peripatetic teachers who teach a wide range of instruments, from cello and piano to saxophone and trombone, we also benefit from visiting practitioners across all the arts. These outside practitioners and specialists help inspire our students to consider the different career pathways that can be achieved in the future.
We use the advantage of our school being so close to the centre of one of the arts capitals of the world and therefore, we lead trips each year to theatres, museums and art galleries each to nurture their understanding of the role of the arts within the wider community.
Enthusiastic, motivated and passionate Arts teachers are the basis of what makes the Arts at Harris Wimbledon Academy an extremely successful, engaging and inclusive environment for our students, which will allow them to thrive in whichever pathway they take in the future.
Director of Performing Arts
Kathy Hofmeyr
