The Arts

There are four main aspects to the Arts at King Henry VIII Preparatory School: Art & Design, Music, Drama and Dance. 

Art & Design
The School has a very strong Art Department with two Art studios specifically for children to use: one at Swallows and the other at Hales.  Two specialist Art teachers are employed by the School and a number of other teachers have Art as a specialism.

Each year the School produces its own Art Exhibition, where it displays not only work by its own pupils but by children from a number of local schools.  There are Art clubs each week and a number of events which usually take place annually, such as The Big Draw in October and a visiting artist in the summer. 

Children’s Art work is exhibited throughout the School’s two main campuses. 

Music
King Henry VIII School has a strong tradition in Music and excellent facilities.  Children at KHPS receive a specialist Music teacher from Nursery onwards and individual instrumental lessons can begin from Reception. 

Children receive an hour of class Music teaching per week from Reception onwards and the school has two full time members of its Music Department. 

Pupils can learn virtually any musical instrument as soon as they are old enough, from the drums to the trombone.  Music concerts take place several times each year, ranging from formal concerts for all parents to informal after-school concerts.  A major annual event is the School’s Carol Service in Coventry Cathedral.

Membership of the school choirs is compulsory for pupils in Years 3 and 4 and the children at the School are taught to participate in singing with great enthusiasm.  In addition to the choirs in Years 3 and 4, there are voluntary choirs in Year 2 and the King Hal’s Singers and the Chamber Choir for pupils in Years 5 and 6.  The School has its own orchestra, rock band, jazz band, clarinet ensemble and a number of other instrumental groups. 

Drama
Every child from Nursery onwards has the opportunity to participate in a play each year.  There are infant nativities, year group performances and a senior play.  Most plays are a mixture of acting, dance and song. 

Those children who are particularly keen on acting and performance can opt to take Speaking and Acting lessons which are examined by LAMDA.  These are great fun and yield a very high level of performance. 

Dance
Dance is also very popular at the School.  There is a dance element within the School’s P.E. syllabus but most dance is performed and learned via extra-curricular groups, such as Bollywood Dance, Ballet, Jazz Dance, Boys’ Street Dance.