The Lark
Summer Term 2016
Well Done, Farewell and Good Luck
As we say goodbye to our Year 6 girls it is a time to reflect on their time at Coworth Flexlands School. The girls should leave proud in their success of securing a place at their senior schools of choice, with almost a third having gained a scholarship and/or exhibition. Their final term at Coworth Flexlands is always full of trips, the Year 5 & 6 production (this year Ali Baba), sports day and extended learning. Each year we take time after senior school examinations to stretch the girls via an in-depth project that culminates in an exhibition that all pupils, staff and parents are invited to view. This year their project centred on Museum Conservation and Curating with an Exhibition on the “History of Year 6 in 16 Objects.” The girls had to choose an item from Surrey, research it, present it and explain why they had chosen that object. Alongside that they chose a personal item to talk about. For example one pupil chose the Hawker Hurricane and wrote about its role in World War II. Her personal item was a photo album of happy family times in Cornwall. To help collate and present their ideas expert advice was sought. Mrs Hazel Neill, a free-lance specialist painting conservationist and restorer of fine art who has worked with Christies and many other prestigious organisations, held a three hour workshop explaining her job, including a demonstration of the samples of pigments and tools she uses. The girls learnt about agents of deterioration, investigated the difference between in house and museum dust and then were able to experience restoration in a circuit of activities. A tour of Woking Lightbox Museum and galleries by its Director, Ms Marilyn Scott, included advice on creating- or ‘curating’ - a great exhibition. The end result was amazing. Head, Mrs Sweeney, proudly stated, “This exhibition is an fine example of the truly outstanding work that our pupils produce, going way beyond any expectations of children who are just 11 years old. The stands were designed and put together by the children themselves, as were the catalogues, passports and interactive games and experiments for the younger pupils. They show-cased the outcome of their extended project on museum curating marvellously. Well done, girls, and thank you to the staff who supported them and organised the opportunities to talk to the experts in this field who truly inspired them. We wish them all good luck and continued success on the next stage of their educational journey”.
www.coworthflexlands.co.uk
@CoworthFlexSch
Tel. 01276 855707