16 Feb 2024
Internationally-renowned artist Rana Begum was a special guest as part of Bernards Heath Junior School’s annual Arts Week.
The week was organised and put together by the school’s art lead, Katherine Taylor and her teaching assistant Anne Naisbitt.
The theme for this year’s Arts Week was the work of Rana Begum, who attended Bernards Heath Junior School in the 1980s after her family moved to St Albans from Bangladesh.
Children undertook various activities throughout the week based on work by Rana, and used a range of media to recreate her work. Children in Year 4 visited St Albans Museum + Gallery to view work by Rana Begum up close at the exhibition Ordered Form.
Pupils worked in mixed aged classes so that the older children could help the younger children, which also gave siblings in different year groups the chance to work together.
Parents and carers who are employed or have interests in the arts were also invited in to help or display their work in the Whole School Art Exhibition.
This year’s exhibits displayed a wealth of talents in painting and drawing, ceramics, crochet, knitting, architecture, tattoo, sewing,
jewellery, animation, photography and digital photography. The school also had extra hands-on help from Verulam GCSE students whilst Sandringham A level students also gave a talk on their artistic journeys to the pupils.
The week culminated in a Whole School Arts Week Assembly attended by many parents and carers. Miss Taylor led the assembly and explained the background to this year’s theme and displayed work completed by the children.
Following Arts Week, Rana Begum came in to talk to the whole school about her career and to view the displays of work created by the children.
Deputy head teacher John Reynolds said: “It was an emotional visit as Rana had not revisited the school since moving on to secondary school in the late 1980s. She was overwhelmed by the work on display and the effort taken by the staff in organising the week for the children.
“Equally, the children were enthralled by Rana’s assembly as she talked through her work. Rana inspired the children by retelling her story of her first few days at Bernards Heath Junior when, not speaking any English, she was given colouring pencils and pens and allowed to draw her experiences. This she said, was where her artistic career started.
“Rana donated several signed copies of her book to the school as a thank you for celebrating her work.”
