For Art Week the Oasis spilt into two. Our part-sighted pupils, using iPads and modified materials, remained in class to learn alongside their peers. However our Reg. blind pupils came together to form a small group that needed to follow their own project focusing on touch and texture.
To kick start this week, the Reg. blind group visited Roche Court, a sculpture park near Salisbury. Here, with special permissions from all of the artists, the children were given a guided 'touch tour' of a varied selection of sculptures.
Students
with Christopher Le Brun ‘Union Horse with Two Discs’ 2001 © the artist and the
New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park
The children were able to fully explore each sculpture. There was lots and lots of talk, with some really interesting ideas coming from the pupils.
Students with Peter Randall Page ‘Shapes in the Clouds’ 2013 © the
artist and the New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park
Some of the sculptures were amazingly tactile. 'Shapes in the Clouds' drew our pupils in with veins of marble that were tracked around the massive form of this sculpture.
Students with David Annesley ‘Orinoco’ 1995 © the artist and the New Art
Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park
Whereas the simple shape and curves of 'Orinoco' proved to be a real favourite.
Students with Eva Rothschild ‘Someone and Someone’ 2009 © the artist and
the New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park
For some sculptures, a verbal commentary was needed at the start to enable the pupils to build a whole picture in their minds eye of what they were feeling.
Students with Peter Randall Page ‘Parting Company II’ 1996 © the artist
and the New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park
But for all the sculptures, nothing would beat hands-on investigation.
Students with Laura Ellen Bacon ‘Split Forms’ 2012 © the artist and the
New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park
Students with Laura Ellen Bacon ‘Split Forms’ 2012 © the artist and the
New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park
After our tour, the children then went to the Education room to work with clay. They used the inspiration of the mornings investigations to create their own art work, including clay arches and clay weaving!
On returning to school, the Reg. blind pupils then embarked on a week of art inspired by the Roche Court Visit.
The children made tactile tiles and pinch clay hedgehogs.
We also had a go at making BIG tactile sculptures using chicken wire and 'modroc'.
Inspired by 'Orinocco', one of our pupils made 'Wave Rider' linking together this visit with our recent Paulton's Park visit sponsored by the Rotary Club.
The final challenge for the week was 'What's in a box?' where pupils were asked to design and make a tactile environment inside a box.
At the end of Art week all the classes shared their work, including the Oasis.
There were some lovely comments from sighted peers, who were surprised at the variety and size of the artwork the VI pupils had produced.
Where our Reg. blind pupils had been separated from their classes for the week, it was very important to reconnect and share what everyone had achieved.
A pupil with VI sharing his artwork with his class mates.
Thanks to all at Roche Court, we had a brilliant and inspiring visit. Thanks to all the artists who allowed our pupils to explore using hands. Finally thanks to all the pupils for their great art work!
The pupils were then taken to meet Goodie, the Good Wife and introduced to some Courtly Tudor dancing.
We all had a great day, thanks to all at Scaplen's and RNLI, the children learnt so much, while really enjoying themselves. 
