Art & Design enables students to explore, interpret, and understand the visual world around them — a vital skill in today’s image-saturated society. Through hands-on projects and critical engagement with the work of artists and designers, students learn to express themselves creatively while developing practical skills, conceptual thinking, and cultural awareness.
The Art & Design Department fully supports the school’s mission:
We are a community which nurtures confidence, empathy, spiritual awareness, and integrity in every individual. Students are encouraged to explore their talents and aspire to success intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. Through this, we ensure that every learner leaves us with an understanding of themselves, their abilities, and the diverse, fragile world they inherit.
Our curriculum empowers all students to think creatively, develop technical competence, and understand the social and cultural role of art and design. It promotes inclusion, curiosity, and self-expression, recognising that each student begins their creative journey from a unique starting point. Lessons are structured to ensure progress for all learners, with targeted support for individual needs.
Students gain an understanding of the formal elements of visual language — line, tone, colour, shape, form, texture, and space — and learn to use them to communicate ideas effectively. They are encouraged to experiment with a wide range of two- and three-dimensional media, developing practical skill, resilience, and the confidence to take creative risks.
Through reflection, critique, and refinement, students learn that creativity is both an imaginative and disciplined process, informed by knowledge, skill, and personal vision.
At Key Stage 3, assessment follows the National Curriculum framework. Literacy underpins all lessons, helping students develop subject-specific vocabulary and the ability to discuss, analyse, and evaluate their own work and that of others. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to develop creativity, competence, cultural understanding, and critical thinking cumulatively. Students work independently and collaboratively, building communication, confidence, and teamwork skills. Sketchbooks and design journals provide essential spaces for experimentation, research, and reflection.
Year 7
Students establish strong foundations in both Fine Art and Textiles. In Fine Art, they explore the formal elements — shape, space, colour, pattern, and texture — primarily through painting and drawing. In Textiles, the project “Bugs Life” introduces fundamental skills in machine stitching, hand embroidery, and pattern design as students create a stuffed pillow with repeated prints. These projects foster technical competence, creative problem-solving, and confidence in visual communication.
Year 8
Skills are developed and extended. Fine Art students engage with printmaking through the theme “Environments”, connecting their work with diverse artists and designers. Textiles students continue to refine machine stitching and design skills, exploring colour theory, layering, and three-dimensional form in the “Birds in Flight” project, producing hanging bird sculptures. Both pathways emphasise experimentation, decision-making, and personal expression.
Year 9
Students prepare for the transition to GCSE by exploring more complex concepts and materials. In Fine Art, the theme “Cultures and Celebrations” inspires three-dimensional work. Textiles students undertake the “Graffiti Tags” project, refining machine stitching, applying textiles theory, and investigating the cultural and artistic significance of street art. Students are encouraged to develop a personal style, critically evaluate their work, and make informed design choices, building confidence for AQA Art & Design Textiles at GCSE.
Beyond lessons, students are encouraged to participate in the Art & Textiles Club, where they can explore new techniques, collaborate with peers, and further develop their creativity in a supportive and inclusive environment.
At GCSE, students follow the AQA Art & Design specification, specialising in either Fine Art or Textiles. The course builds on Key Stage 3 foundations, enabling students to refine their technical and conceptual abilities while exploring personal and meaningful ideas.
Students work with a broad range of media — drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, fabric manipulation, and digital processes. They develop ideas through sustained investigation, informed by research into artists, designers, and craftspeople from a range of periods and cultures. Sketchbooks record creative thought, experimentation, and reflection.
Assessment through AQA’s Personal Portfolio (Component 1) and Externally Set Assignment (Component 2) allows students to take ownership of their creative journey. By the end of the course, they produce confident, individual outcomes that demonstrate imagination, skill, and cultural awareness. Many progress to A-Level with a strong creative foundation and appreciation of art’s role in contemporary society.
At A-Level, students follow the AQA Art & Design specification, choosing to specialise in Fine Art or Photography. The course challenges students to become independent, critical, and reflective practitioners capable of sustained creative and analytical work.
Each pathway includes a Personal Investigation (Component 1) — an in-depth practical and written project — and an Externally Set Assignment (Component 2), culminating in a resolved final piece.
Contextual research is central, as students study artists and movements that inspire and inform their own practice. By the end of the course, they demonstrate a sophisticated visual language, intellectual curiosity, and the analytical skills necessary for higher education and creative careers.
The Art & Design curriculum is inclusive by design, ensuring all students can access and succeed in their learning. Lessons combine visual, tactile, and kinaesthetic approaches to cater for diverse learning styles. Staff work closely with the SENDCo, pastoral team, and ASD base to adapt tasks and resources for individual needs.
Learning is scaffolded through visual exemplars, structured guidance, and differentiated activities that build independence and confidence. Vocabulary and key concepts are explicitly taught and reinforced throughout projects to strengthen literacy and understanding.
Specialist equipment, digital tools, and adaptive materials are provided where needed, ensuring full participation. The calm, structured environment of the Art classroom helps all learners feel valued, safe, and empowered to express themselves creatively.
Teaching Assistants are integral to the success of the Art Department. They receive detailed planning information and collaborate with teachers to understand lesson objectives, techniques, and student needs.
Their work focuses on promoting independence while providing targeted support. They assist in modelling techniques, reinforcing vocabulary, and guiding practical work safely and effectively. Teaching Assistants also support annotation and reflection in sketchbooks, helping students develop the language of visual analysis.
They play an active role in enrichment activities, workshops, and gallery visits, ensuring all learners can fully engage with every opportunity offered by the department.
The Art Department provides a rich programme of enrichment activities to broaden students’ creative experiences. After-school art clubs allow students to experiment, collaborate, and explore new materials.
Workshops with visiting artists, photographers, and textile designers expose students to professional practice and creative careers. Regular visits to galleries and museums — including Tate Liverpool and Manchester Art Gallery — deepen students’ understanding of the role of art and design in society.
GCSE and A-Level students benefit from portfolio and revision sessions, while participation in exhibitions, competitions, and community art projects builds confidence, pride, and ambition.
Developing cultural capital is central to our curriculum. Students engage with a diverse range of artists, designers, and photographers from different eras and cultures, learning how visual culture reflects and shapes human experience.
At Key Stage 3, students are introduced to global art traditions and contemporary practices. At GCSE, they explore themes such as identity, environment, and narrative, connecting personal responses to broader cultural contexts. At A-Level, students critically engage with art theory and context, developing independent viewpoints about society and creativity.
Through direct engagement with art in real-world settings, students gain empathy, aesthetic awareness, and cultural understanding. They also develop transferable skills such as creative problem-solving, analysis, and independent thought, preparing them for future study and employment.
Art & Design maintains strong links with other subjects to enrich learning and demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of creativity:
These links strengthen students’ understanding of how art connects to all areas of human knowledge, fostering well-rounded, thoughtful, and imaginative learners.
