'Is white a colour?'

Walk around The Paragon any day of the week and you will see - and hear - children expressing themselves creatively. The school positively hums with music, dance, art and other activities.

Music
Everyone can have a go at the samba drum - and they do! All children receive weekly music lessons from a specialist teacher. In addition, visiting instrumental teachers offer tuition in a wide range of instruments including clarinet, saxophone, violin, piano, guitar, flute and, for brave parents, drum kit! We offer an excellent choice of extra curricular music activities including two orchestras, three choirs, a wind band, brass group, string ensemble, guitar group and a samba band.

Art
Batik... pottery... mosaics... still life... sculpture... 3-D... charcoal... pastels - our art lessons give children the chance to try their hand at all these and more. We study the work of artists from different cultures and times, observing differences and similarities and developing children's critical appreciation. We also invite local artists in to the school to talk about their work and what inspires them. The output from our art lessons fill our walls and classrooms with vibrant life and colour and show just how creative children can be with the right encouragement.

Design and Technology
Children love making things, whether it's a new jewellery box for Mum's birthday or a mobile for their bedroom. In Design and Technology we capitalise on this enthusiasm. We set focused, practical tasks to help children acquire technical skills such as how to use a saw. We then help them apply these skills in thought-provoking and engaging projects that develop their analytical skills, creative thinking and problem-solving techniques. You will often enjoy the results as your Christmas or birthday present, handed over with those words that are music to every parent's ears - 'I made it myself'.

Drama
What does it feel like to be lost at sea? Or an alien who wakes up in the park one Sunday morning? Or a child with a disfiguring burn? In Drama children project themselves into these and many other situations, discovering what it feels like to be in someone else's skin. All children in our Prep department receive a weekly drama lesson, currently taught by the Headmaster. Carefully planned activities such as role play, mime and sketches help develop children's imagination and enable them to explore real life challenges and issues. We find that drama is a great opportunity for bright, creative children, who may not necessarily excel in academic areas, to shine. It's also an excellent way of developing self-confidence and teambuilding skills. And above all, it's enormous fun.