The Arts
The creative and performing arts are highly successful at Canonbury Senior School, supporting many individual and varied interests. Art, drama and music are all offered to appeal to and uncover different talents, which makes for an incredibly rich and vibrant portfolio of student work, spanning architecture, fashion, stone carving, photography, film, musical theatre and jazz, to name a few.
Art, drama and music are all taught at Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) to build up confidence, enthusiasm and creativity in key areas relevant to each subject. Students are then able to make an informed decision as to whether to continue with a chosen subject at GCSE and beyond.
GCSE and A Level Study
GCSE Art at NBH Canonbury enables you to explore a wide range of media, which is very exciting, stimulating and rewarding. Whilst painting and drawing form a large part of the syllabus, we also offer opportunities in printmaking, sculpture, ceramics and digital media, including photography and film. Come A-Level, the standard and scale to which these disciplines are practiced is reflected in the outstanding grades achieved, and final pieces are presented in an end of year exhibition.
Our GCSE Drama course develops students' understanding of theatre (design and practice) and their performance skills. Students are introduced to some iconic plays, create original drama of their own, and become experienced theatregoers. At A-Level, Canonbury students benefit from being taught by a co-creator of the latest syllabus; our Head of Drama has a wealth of experience which inspires students' use of drama to engage, influence and persuade audiences.
GCSE and A Level Music is unique in its combination of academic study and creative opportunity. Our GCSE students gain an understanding of the historical periods and styles of music from different parts of the world; write music in a style of their choosing, using software such as Logic Pro and Sibelius; and develop their performance skills on their chosen instrument. The A Level course is devised around the development of three key skills; performing, composing and listening, and appraising.