Academic Departments - Art

The Art department is made up of three specialist Art rooms, including a Sixth Form Studio with a computer area and printing press, an extensive Art reference library area, a small dark room and a kiln room. There are two Art teachers who are able to offer a broad and diverse range of skills and knowledge.

Artwork from all year groups is displayed around the school and a permanent exhibition of work is displayed in the dining room.

The KS3 schemes of work are designed to set a sound foundation for studying Art and Design to GCSE and beyond. In Years 7 to 9 every girl has one double lesson of Art per week, where they are taught about the key elements in the visual language of Art and Design, line, tone, texture, colour, form and structure. Nearly all the work is project based with projects usually lasting about a term. Within each project the teaching, the skills and learning methods will vary, thus giving every girl the opportunity to work at her best.

Although the projects in years 7 to 9 are very much teacher led, the girls are often given a choice of activities to complete a project. Every project has a sound contextual base ranging from Logo Graphics and the work of Rousseau in Year 7, an ethnic theme, Pop Art and Picasso or Klimt in Year 8 to William Morris and Surrealism in Year 9. During Year 9 the girls are introduced to Textiles and spend a term researching, designing and making a cushion.

All KS3 pupils are given a specialist Art sketchbook where they build information through research and experimenting with different methods and media. Through this they are able to develop their ideas and final outcomes to a very high standard.

	GCSE Art

Art and Design is offered as a GCSE subject in Year 10 where the girls study the unendorsed syllabus offered by Edexcel. The course is made up of 60% course work and 40% examination. The coursework is then sub divided into termly projects where the students are encouraged to use a wide range of media and disciplines. All projects are supported by in-depth research and development work in the form of a work journal or sketchbook. At the end of the two-year course the girls display their work in an exhibition. This is moderated and then opens for viewing by the school and parents. The GCSE results achieved are always of an excellent standard with a very high percentage of the girls achieving A and A* grades.

The students studying A level Art and Design have their own Sixth Form Art Studio with a special computer area and a printing press. Many of the students who study A level Art and Design go on to study at Art College, The LondonCollege of Fashion or Architecture but others take this subject for the diverse and exciting opportunities it gives them to express themselves. The Edexcel unendorsed Art and Design syllabus is followed. One of the highlights of the school year is the A level Art exhibition held at the end of the Summer Term.

Private View of A level Art

Regular Art trips to the London Galleries take place for all year groups plus in recent years trips have gone to New York, Barcelona and Berlin.

The Art rooms are always open and the girls are encouraged to come at lunch times and after school to work on their art. A photography club is also available for the Sixth Form.

A2 Art AS Art

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