Success in sports and arts activities is very motivating particularly for those children who may not find academic success easy. Consequently self esteem and confidence is raised considerably, impacting back on life in the classroom in a very positive way.

Our 'Space for Sports and Arts' provides a high specification facility that enables a wider range of sports and arts to be delivered by sports coaches and professional artists on regular basis. The building opened in 2005 thanks to funding from Sport England.

All children at Rookery receive at least two hours of PE per week where they learn many different sports from Athletics to Volleyball. They also have the opportunity to go swimming, where it is our aim to get every child to swim 25m or more.

Dance is taught within curriculum time to whole classes and at lunch time children can join the dance club. Some of our children have performed at other schools and various stages in and around Birmingham.

At lunch time various activities are put on through the year so children can compete for the house trophy. We have trained some children to be Sports Mentors who provide sporting games and activities at lunch time for pupils and help with 'Wake & Shake' excercise sessions in the mornings before school.

After school we have a boy's football team, a girl's netball team, and a football club open to both boys and girls. We have links with Hamstead Hall, Hamilton Special School and Aston Villa FC. A variety of opportunities are provided by these links so our children receive a diverse education in PE.

All children at Rookery learn music through the topic they are studying. This is done through listening to music, singing songs, playing a piece of music, or composing their own.

Opportunities are given for pupils to learn instruments such as the Steel Pans, Drums, Violin, Flute, Clarinet and Keyboard. These children are given opportunities to perform in public with the school having an annual music concert where all children who learn an instrument perform.

Over the last 4 years Rookery has had links with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and the Welsh National Opera. Our year 4 children have participated on projects by the WNO that have not only provided singing tuition and musical knowledge but also developed some of our children's confidence. These projects have all ended up being performed on one of the stages at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the public.

Children and teachers at Rookery have had the opportunity to work with professional artists. The school has a visually rich environment with many outcomes on display.

Professional artists working at Rookery have developed the practice of individual responses and outcomes being joined together, in consultation with the children, to make large scale whole pieces. Through workshops at events, parents and friends have also developed skills and enjoyment of art.

Our professional visual artist here at Rookery is Angela Connors. Angela runs Friday afternoon art club as well as working with us on special projects. In 2009 Rookery devised the 'Aspire' project for the Holyhead gifted and talented cluster. This involved children visiting the Tate Modern Gallery in London, working with Angela and mounting an exhibition at The Drum Arts Centre.

Download Gifted & Talented Apsire Booklet.pdf

Each half term a year group puts on an event that is based around their curriculum topic.

The events have been very successful and are a showcase of the pupils' knowledge and understanding of the topic through various forms of Art. The events encourage parents and the public to participate in some form, either through discussions or being involved in the workshops.

Recently parents have even worked with children in lesson time and have had their work displayed at the events. Children not only perform on the day but produce the posters, leaflets, tickets and food for the evening.

We have some children who are Arts Mentors. They provide support at the events by being on the Box Office, usher parents, talk to parents about the work on display, serve food etc.

As well as curriculum use, the centre is also a fantastic community facility for classes such as mendhi, keep fit, drumming, dance and sewing. Both the Sports Hall and Conference rooms are available for hire, particularly outside the school day.

If you are interested in hiring the Centre, the scale of charges is here. Please contact the School Business Development Manager via the school office.