From sculpture to screen printing, fine art to fashion, teaching the arts provides skills for life, writes Anne Cuthbertson
When ceramics teacher Tim Rees-Moorlah first visited Mayfield School in East Sussex, he discovered something ?pretty unique?. ?I thought I was on a university site. It?s a remarkable place,? he says. ?I do think we have the best ceramics facilities in the country.? The day and boarding school for girls, just 50 minutes by train from central London, offers dedicated studios for ceramics, a kiln room with three large kilns and two test kilns, a purpose-built spray booth for spraying larger pieces and a glaze room. Visitors can admire ceramics of an exceptional standard which are displayed around the school.

Teaching the arts during Covid It is a particularly strong subject for the school and pupils are undeterred by Covid restrictions which have kept them out of the studio. Year 13 students were in the middle of claywork when the country went into lockdown. Pieces had to be sprayed and wrapped up to keep them from setting hard. Coursework and independent research will continue online until they can return to the studio.
The benefit of studying ceramics ? the formal qualification is 3D art and design ? is something Rees-Moorlah is passionate about. ?The key thing is that they have ownership of their projects. They have freedom and choice. They can go on their own journey.? Along with a remarkable work ethos, he has seen girls? confidence soar in the stu...