School opens doors for exhibition

This impressive exhibition featured work of some 500 students from various departments including Art, Animation, Graphics, Electronic Products, Resistant Materials, Engineering and Food Technology who have recently completed GCSE, BTEC, AS and A level courses.

The public filled the school for the unique showcase event.

Nick Wergan, Headteacher, Steyning Grammar School said: “The breadth of creative outcomes from our students is remarkable, and testimony to their skill and the great support from our staff. Anyone attending will have been taken aback by the talent of young people today.”

Amanda Duke, Faculty Leader for Creative and Performing Arts at Steyning Grammar School, commented: “People were amazed by the items on display, proving that our students’ positive and focused enthusiasm has brought remarkable outcomes.”

Our GCSE Art students (125 candidates) displayed their examination work entitled ‘Order and/or Disorder’.

The theme this year seemed to generate a lot of interest in water in motion, landscape and the re-arrangement of normality. Students excelled themselves in painting in particular.

Our BTEC Visual Arts students (15 candidates) showed their short animation films.

Their brief was to create a short ident for a TV or Radio channel. Students used a variety of different styles and genres including hand drawn, stop motion and live animation.

Students from this course have had a good insight into a vocational pathway in Art and Design.

At AS level the growing number of Art and Photography students (57 students) displayed examination work created in response to the theme ‘Earth, Wind, Fire, Water’.

Students had to think carefully about how to avoid being literal or obvious with their interpretation of this theme. They managed this well by gathering their own resources and developing exciting solutions in watercolour, acrylic, poster paint, ceramics, drypoint etching, graphite and textiles.

Our large group of and Photography A level students (54 candidates) responded to a theme ‘Growth and Evolution’. This was a great theme for students leaving the school.

One student decided to research how to construct and make a vertical garden. She ended up making a garden containing succulents and used this as subject matter for a circular painting.

Another student researched traditional and contemporary botanical illustration.

After a visit to the Booth museum and collecting various studies of butterflies she made an installation including a rocking chair, a papercut book, laser cut butterflies and a beautiful miniature painting showing terrific colour mixing skills and attention to detail.

As usual students had worked hard to produce exemplary sketchbook work and final outcomes.

Many of our students will continue their Art education at local Foundation courses. They have been successful in gaining places at Camberwell, Brighton, Chichester, Northbrook, Manchester Metropolitan, Reading and Northbrook. Many students have offers at a range of prestigious universities including joining degree courses in Digital Photography, Architecture, Animation and Game Design.

Over 200 students displayed work spanning the seven Technology subjects and out A-Level Product Design and Systems displayed their work at KS5.

Technology work at Steyning Grammar School is of a very high standard. AQA exam board recently visited the faculty to review Y11 Electronic Products were very impressed by the use of virtual modelling as a design tool.

This use of modern technologies is evident across the specialisms and aids the students in their progression and enjoyment of the subject.

Chris Gibbs, Steyning Grammar School, Faculty Leader for Technology said: “This high standard of work has had a positive impact on numbers. Next year for the first time our A-Level Product Design will expand from two to three classes encompassing over 40 students.

“The community around the school is an important factor and is evident in many students work.

“Our Resistant Materials group runs a ‘Candle Holder Design Project’ in conjunction with the local Church every year and our Product Design group exhibits their first year design projects based upon Shoreham Airport and the Art Deco style.

“These projects and many others looked fantastic and showed the very high standard of work produced by Technology students in 2014.”

It was wonderful to celebrate the achievement of all our students at the private view on Thursday June 12. Musical interludes, light refreshments and a summer evening provided a fabulous ambience for students and the local community to enjoy.

The Heritage Quilt project was also exhibited. This major project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund will be completed in November 2014.

Five quilted panels are being made to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the school. The project has involved 300 school students and 150 members of the local community.

For more information on the courses available at Steyning Grammar School please visit the curriculum section of our website www.sgs.uk.net

Report and pictures contributed by Steyning Grammar School.