LONDON.- Children from across the United Kingdom will have their work showcased this spring in the biggest Take One Picture exhibition ever to have been organised by the National Gallery, London.

The exhibition features some of the work produced by primary schools this year that responds creatively to the National Gallery painting 'The Fighting Temeraire' by Joseph Mallord William Turner.

The ‘Take One Picture’ scheme invites UK primary schools to use a painting from the National Gallery’s collection as a focus for teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Each year a different National Gallery painting is chosen to provide a starting point for exploration. Hundreds of schools have taken up the challenge since the scheme began in 1995, and many of these submit work to the Take One Picture exhibition each year.

Work from 20 schools will be exhibited in the 2009 exhibition. While some of the schools are new to the ‘Take One Picture’ scheme, others have long embedded this way of working into their yearly planning.

Over 130 schools in total took part in ‘Take One Picture’ this year, with participating pupils ranging in age from those aged just 4 to those aged 11.

Highlights of this year’s exhibition include:

• An art/dance/ICT project culminating in animations of sailors on board HMS Temeraire.

• A three-dimensional representation of the painting made from recycled materials including knitted plastic bags.

• A local area project undertaken by an infant school located close to the final route of the Temeraire.

• A film of children evoking the atmosphere of the painting using model boats, a fish tank, water and theatre lights.

Painted in 1839, 'The Fighting Temeraire' records the final journey of the 98-gun ship as it travelled up the Thames. Work has been selected to demonstrate the wide range of skills, knowledge and understanding that can be gained from taking just one picture as a stimulus.

Research is also currently being undertaken by the National Gallery into the nature of cross-curricular teaching and learning using paintings as a starting point.

Ali Mawle, National Gallery Head of Schools, said, "The Take One Picture approach unites school communities in learning about art and through art. By using a painting as a rich context for developing innovative and cross-curricular units of work, a broad and balanced curriculum is ensured and those involved are engaged and inspired."

The schools represented in the 2009 exhibition are:

Benedict Biscop C.E. Primary School, Sunderland
Bridge and Patrixbourne C.E. Primary School, Kent
Cropthorne with Charlton C.E. First School, Worcestershire
Druzba Russian and Lithuanian Saturday School, Newham, London
Fernwood Infant School, Nottingham
Garden Suburb Infant School, Barnet, London
Grafton Primary School, Islington, London
Great Totham Primary School, Essex
Lubenham All Saints C.E. Primary School, Leicestershire
Park Hill Junior School, Croydon, London
Nottingham Girls’ High School, Nottingham
The Queen’s School, Kew, Richmond, London
Selling C.E. Primary School, Kent
St. Bede’s Catholic Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees
St. John’s Catholic Infant School, Norwich
St. John’s C.E. Primary School, Stapleford, Nottinghamshire
St. John’s Primary School, Kenilworth, Warwickshire
St. Mary’s Lower School, Stanway, Essex
Thorpe Greenways Infant School, Southend-on-Sea
Exhibiting schools will be offered the chance to visit the Gallery for special private views during the summer term.

As well as the works by the chosen schools a video will be shown representing the efforts of other participating schools.