Ruskin pupil's picture will hang in National Gallery

Ruskin Junior School, in Wordsworth Drive, Upper Stratton, entered their pupils' work into the Take One Picture competition.

They are one of 10 schools whose work will now be displayed at the National Gallery in London.

Teacher and arts co-ordinator at the school, Jo Holden, said that the children and staff were pleased.

Year 4 pupil Sarah Lenihan, nine, whose poem in the shape of a tree has been chosen to represent the school, said: "I was really proud when I heard my work had been chosen. I cannot wait to go to the gallery to see it."

The pupils studied the national gallery as part of a two-week project and some even visited it as part of a school trip.

Ms Holden said: "We have never had something displayed in a gallery before."

She added that the school has always had a focus on art and has been given Artsmark gold status, which recognises its high arts curriculum.

The school has managed to link this art-dominated project with other subjects, such as literacy and numeracy.

"We're a very high provider of art.

"We always do art work and there's quite a big emphasis on that," said Ms Holden.

Each year a different painting from the collection is chosen to provide a starting point in exploring subjects across the National Curriculum.

The featured National Gallery painting this year was An Autumn Landscape with a View of Het Steen in the Early Morning by Peter Paul Rubens.

"We spent two weeks doing work to do with this one painting then we submitted a portfolio to the gallery," said Ms Holden.

Ruskin was selected for closer inspection and hosted representatives from the National Gallery in November.

All children at the school between the ages seven and 11 were entered, but the idea of a poem was given to Year 4 pupils.

Sarah added: "We had to write a poem about a tree.

"Our teachers gave us a sheet with words on it and we had to write them into a poem in the shape of a tree."