Art & Photography

In Art and Photography our students have the freedom to express their ideas and thoughts and work creatively; students interact with each other, sharing ideas and developing social skills. We are two experienced Art and Photography teachers who encourage students to develop confidence and determination; our students don’t always get it right the first time, but we teach them to have the courage and resilience to try again, which are worthy qualities for any future career.

Our Year 7 students are enthusiastic and keen to learn, studying basic artistic skills through a range of art forms, media and techniques; we nurture each student to achieve their personal best. In Year 8 we build on this; students study a project in greater depth, introducing processes similar to those we use at GCSE level: contextual research and observational studies, leading to creative final outcomes, where each student is encouraged to explore their own ideas.

At GCSE level we offer Fine Art and Photography, students often opt for both and consistently get 100% pass rates, including Grade 9. In 2024 one of our Art students received notification from the Chief Executive of the examination board OCR that she was one of the top performers in OCR’s GCSE; in 2023, 2 of our Art students received the same accolade. We nurture our students to explore the Art world through contextual research, and to apply their knowledge to enrich their own ideas. Our world is increasingly reliant on computers, smartphones and other digital devices, and there are huge career opportunities for young people, such as web design, app design and software design. Our GCSE students often continue their studies into A Level.

Our successes at A Level are a result of students being nurtured as artists. As teachers we give them the freedom to discuss their ideas with us, and ultimately students present a mature portfolio of work which allows them to explore a theme personal to themselves, often looking at those issues which affect young people today.

OUR RESULTS AT A LEVEL ARE EXCELLENT, AND MANY OF OUR STUDENTS GO ON TO STUDY ART AT UNIVERSITY, INCLUDING THE HIGHLY PRESTIGIOUS ‘CENTRAL ST MARTINS’ IN LONDON. 

Our students are committed and dedicated, developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, lateral thinking, complex analysis and critical thinking skills, all essential life skills. They love being in the art room, describing it as ‘calming, inspirational, vibrant and homely’. As teachers we nurture, support and encourage, but most of all, we have fun in our sometimes messy and always exciting art room.

Websites and Channels

• Wiki Art  
• The Art Story  
• Will Kemp Art School 
• Draw Mix Paint 
• Easy Drawing Guides
• Colour in Your Life (Graeme Stevenson) 
• Watts Atelier of the Arts
• Fine Art Academy