Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to be invited to the National Gallery to learn more about the “Take One Picture” programme. “Take One Picture” aims to inspire a lifelong love of art and learning and every year, the gallery curators take one picture from the collection to inspire cross-curricular work in primary classrooms across the UK.
This year, the picture chosen was the strange and mysterious ‘Surprised!’ by the eccentric artist, Henri Rousseau. This painting provoked a huge range of questions from boys across the whole school, which we have endeavoured to help them answer.
Different teachers used different approaches, subjects and interests to inspire the boys’ learning, for example:
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Painting links: Where work links back to the focus painting
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Investigative approach: Projects are shaped by child-led research
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Process: Children have the opportunity to learn a new process inspired by the painting
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Cross-curricular learning: Projects make meaningful links across the curriculum
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Community: Learning involves people or places in the local community
Many thanks to all the teachers who joined in with projects that place art at the centre of the learning, and to The National Gallery for the inspiration.
Mrs West
