Pupils at Cavendish Primary School in Chiswick embarked on an unusual trip to Littlehampton last Friday.

Unlike other school trips it didn’t just involve one class or even one year, but the entire main school. Given that this involved just over 200 pupils, they were accompanied by virtually every member of the school’s staff, as well as an army of helpers, drawn from pupils’ families.

Armed with buckets and spades, everyone got the chance to take part in a range of the usual beach activities such as paddling in the sea, rock pooling and building sandcastles. However as well as providing a day of fun at the seaside, the trip also provided a focus for a whole week of arts activities which would take place in the following week.

This year’s Art Week is planned around the National Gallery’s highly successful nationwide scheme, ‘Take One Picture’. The picture in question is Degas’ Beach Scene.

Anne Marie Inwood, the Head of Cavendish Primary School who recently met Prime Minister Tony Blair, said "Although the trip was an enormous feat of organisation on the part of school staff, we couldn’t miss the opportunity of bringing Degas’ painting to life for our pupils, by letting them experience the sights and sounds of the seaside at first hand. Everyone had a great time and the school is really looking forward to linking what the children learned to an exciting week of arts activities."

Although the children in the school’s nursery did not go on the trip, even they got to experience a taste of the seaside through their very own seaside day which was held in school.

June 20, 2006