Press Release

Creativity boosted student wellbeing during lockdown, says Sexey’s School Headteacher

10 July 2020; Bruton, Somerset: On the launch of Sexey’s School’s annual End of Year Art & Photography show – this year held virtually for the first time – Headteacher Mrs Helen Cullen reflects on the increase in creativity seen by student output during the period of lockdown.

“We’ve seen a real surge in our student’s creativity during lockdown”, said Mrs H Cullen, Headteacher at Sexey’s School. “The standard of work presented in this year’s End of Year Art Show is simply incredible. We have also seen students developing dance routines and arranging musical performances, as well as responding to our daily challenges on social media with inspiring poems that they’ve written.

“The feedback that we’ve had from students via our pastoral team – who have been working tirelessly during lockdown to stay in touch with our most vulnerable students – is that students have really appreciated having a creative outlet to support their wellbeing and morale during this period of school closure and lockdown resulting from Covid-19. I commend all of our students and staff for the way in which they have responded to recent challenges with such fantastic creative output.”

The school’s End of Year Show, displaying students’ work across GCSE and A Level has been taken online for the first time this year. Viewers may visit the virtual exhibition using the artsteps programme, and can be seen at https://bit.ly/EndofYearShow2020.

Commenting on the End of Year exhibition, Mrs S Reddick, Head of Art and Design said, “The Art Department has been committed during lockdown to challenge, engage, inspire and motivate students to explore their environments more closely than ever before. We’ve used a range of themes and assignments to allow scope for creativity and ingenuity. Students have been given the valuable opportunity to express themselves, building on their artistic and photographic skill and above all encouraged to use their imaginations to create highly unique and inventive work. I congratulate all of them for an outstanding End of Year Show!”