The Art Department is housed in a custom made building. We are 5 subject specialists, delivering a challenging but supportive curriculum. All our courses support academic progress and are creative industry focused, preparing our students for meaningful careers.

What we offer....

In KS3, we deliver a one hour Art lesson every week, focusing on practical Fine Art skills, supported with relevant Art Historical themes. The project based learning is primarily focused on drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. The art practice is underpinned and informed by relevant, varied art history and references to multicultural themes.

KS3 students also have a one hour weekly Design lesson, on a rotation. This allows us to teach focused creative skills, to smaller groups. The rotations include food technology, graphic design, costume design, architecture, ceramics, photography, digital media, printmaking, textile design.

We offer a broad range of experiences, that scaffold our expectations in KS4. The reason we achieve amazing grades in Y11, is the hard work students put in through Y7 - 9.

KS4 we offer 2 GCSE courses.

Level 2 GCSE Art, Craft and Design. This is a broad GCSE, with multiple specialisms including, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, printmaking, digital image, graphic design, architecture, fashion design, textile design. This GCSE gives the students the scope to experience more techniques, while allow creative DT subjects to be included under an art umbrella.

Level 2 GCSE Photography. This is a skill based course, focusing on both digital and analogue photography, moving image, graphic design, image manipulation, installation art and sculpture. The Department has a large, well equipped darkroom and a apple mac suite.

KS5 we offer 2 courses

Level 3 Btec National Diploma in Art and Design. Within this we offer two specialist pathways. ART AND DESIGN or PHOTOGRAPHY. This course allows direct entry to university, avoiding art foundation. It is designed to allow access to further education, higher apprenticeships or directly into employment.

IBCP standard level Visual Arts. Visual Arts is similar to A Level art in its content, focusing on Fine Art practice. It has a bias towards drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture.

Qualifications at KS4 and KS5

AQA GCSE ART AND DESIGN (L2)

AQA GCSE PHOTOGRAPHY (L2)

Btec Level 3 National Diploma in ART and Design (L3)

IBCP standard level Visual Arts (L2)

Extra curricular activities in the Art & Design Department

As a department, we are highly active in the local community. We have strong links to the Turner Contemporary and enter a large number of local and national student competitions.

Our student's work is regularly included in external exhibitions and we participate in a number of outside agency art projects.

In KS3 we run a trip to The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and The National Gallery, in London. Y7 attend the Turner Transition Project, combining their work, with the work of our neighboring secondary schools. KS4 have regular gallery trips to expand their knowledge and experiences. KS5 have a residential art trip.

The art department is integral to the running of school performances, helping create stage sets, scenery, costumes and digital projections.

For those students who intend to progress into the creative industries, we arrange bespoke work experience, to help this. We also involve outside agencies to arrange professional mentors for our students, helping start their careers.