The National Gallery donates professional easels to our school

The world-famous National Gallery, in London, has made a generous contribution of professional, full-sized easels to Halley House School. This initiative is set to improve our art education and inspire the next generation of creative talent within our school.

The easels, which were recently retired from use within the National Gallery, are robust, high-quality wooden equipment. Their rehoming is an opportunity for our pupils to experience professional artistic equipment and to work like professional artists.

The contribution also complements a recent grant of over £10,000 from The Goldsmith Centre which has been used to refurbish our art room, equipping it with bespoke furniture able to cater for inclusive learning styles.

A huge thank you to our art educator, Kate Hodgson, who created the opportunity for us to receive these high-end easels. Ms Hodgson says: "An easel is a really high status art equipment which connects both spaces of practice, where we make art, and spaces of display, where we showcase art made by the children. It is very exciting to have easels from the National Gallery right at the heart of our school, in the hall, where we gather and eat as a community."

This contribution aligns with the National Gallery's dedication to making art accessible to all and supporting visual literacy beyond its Trafalgar Square location. The Gallery runs extensive learning programmes, including the annual Take One Picture initiative, which focuses on engaging primary school children with a single masterpiece from the collection.

Karen Eslea, Head of Learning and Programmes at the National Gallery, says: “We are delighted to offer some of our art materials to benefit pupils at the new art studio at Halley House School and those at the other schools that are part of the Bellevue Place Education Trust which supports the primary sector across London and Berkshire.”  

A spokesperson for the Bellevue Place Education Trust said: “We are very grateful to the National Gallery. Our focus is to provide a holistic education for every child, and this contribution falls perfectly into our commitment to offer every child a broad learning experience.”