Head teacher's comment - Learning with a purpose - Simon Harrison

At Crofton School we were lucky enough to have Portsmouth based graffiti artist ‘My Dog Sighs’ spend a week with us recently, creating a mural on the wall of our design and technology block.
Crofton School headteacher, Simon Harrison.

Picture: Loughlan CampbellCrofton School headteacher, Simon Harrison.

Picture: Loughlan Campbell
Crofton School headteacher, Simon Harrison. Picture: Loughlan Campbell

As reported in The News, it’s a fascinating piece of work, encapsulating the energy present within a school.

However the legacy is so much more than the work itself, wonderful as that is.

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During the week, as he created the mural, ‘My Dog Sighs’ spent time discussing the work with our students, answering their questions and explaining the process and materials he was using.

It was a chance for students to see art as a vibrant act of creation rather than just an end result, and I know it will inspire many of them to engage with the arts, and maybe lead to an exciting career.

There is a danger that sometimes what happens in a school is divorced from the real world, with subjects seen as something pursued purely for the purposes of an examination or even worse because ‘we have to’ in the eyes of some students.

It is so important that schools take time to engage with real-world contexts, so that students can see what these studies might lead to and to understand that what happens in schools is more than anything about helping them to take the next successful steps in life.

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I hope that any readers who feel they can provide a real-world context to the school curriculum might contact a local school and offer to get involved. Our experience with ‘My Dog Sighs’ shows just how inspiring this can be for young people.

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