Art and Design

All students benefit from a Foundation Course in a wide variety of skills, techniques and media to produce art in areas such as, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and three – dimensional work. Students are taught about the different genres in art and design and the place it has in society by writing and analysing the work of others. The department is well equipped with computers, a colour printer, scanners and digital cameras to allow students to develop photography and ICT skills.

Further studies in Art can lead into GCSE and A Level qualifications. The vast majority of our A Level students go on to study the subject in Higher Education by completing an Art Foundation Course at some of London’s top Art colleges, before specialising at Degree level. Students gaining places on Architectural courses have proven to be very successful.

The Art Department offers a focus for the cultural and aesthetic life of the school. Art is displayed around the school environment and in the Dining Room Gallery. All Art staff are qualified specialists ranging from a Three – dimensional designer to Fine and Media artists.

The department encourages students at KS3 to become involved in a series of extra-curricular art clubs. A level art students attend a Life Drawing workshop run by the Royal Academy of Arts, alongside selected students to complete an educational programme, entitled Attract. At GCSE level several students attend Saturday morning workshops at Middlesex University, working and learning alongside practising artists and designers. At KS4 and 5 several visits are made to Galleries and Museums to influence ideas for course and exam work. Once a year the department hosts an end of year exhibition to celebrate the achievements of students at this level.

Our aim as a department is to nurture the development of imaginative, inventive, independent work at every level and to encourage the students we teach to develop their creative thinking skills.