Deansfield Primary School, London

9 and 10 year-olds

We used the painting to tell the story of Tobias and the Angel as part of our Art into Storytelling theme. We found that by totally immersing the children in the painting, they were encouraged to tell their own imaginative stories and as a result became more confident writers. We started by talking about the painting, and then used drama, drawing and modelling to engage with the characters.

The children used their newfound knowledge, skills and confidence to produce quality pieces of writing in the form of letters written by Tobias on his journey.

Click here to view the full poem by Thomas Sutherland (pupil, aged 10).

Janis Blyth (lead teacher)

© Deansfield Primary School, London. Photo: The National Gallery, London.