The Art School has three dedicated teaching staff with a range of skills and specialisms and occupies three studios in the newly refurbished Castle Building. Two of these spaces are dedicated to lower school groups, and the third is exclusively for sixth formers. There is also a dedicated communal study area where students can enjoy full access to high specification laptops, the full Adobe Creative suite and an excellent library of books and subject specific journals. Facilities exist for drawing, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, photography and graphics, all overlooked by the magnificient Acton Burnell Castle. The Art School offers a tranquil, yet hardworking environment where students are encouraged to explore their creative potential and develop skills in a range of media.

It is our aim to offer the full OCR Art and Design suite at AS and A Level but most students follow a course in Fine Art as this allows a much broader approach and incorporates a number of different specialisms. All students in Form 3 / Year 9 study Art with those opting to study at GCSE level following an AQA course of study. GCSE Art incorporates more printmaking, painting and various mixed media techniques. This leads to a very personal portfolio of work as students become increasingly aware of themselves as individuals and how they can best express this through a series of connected works. Students studying Art at AS and A Level explore their ideas in a range of media from negotiated starting points and resulting portfolios are a vital part of the application process for any student wishing to study Art and Design or Architecture at university.

Exceptional results year on year see the majority of our students attend top architectural courses at the finest institutions including The Bartlett at UCL, Cambridge, Bath, Cardiff and AA. We have also helped students to continue their creative journey on a range of courses for the most part at UAL. These include everything from Diagnostic and Specialist Foundation courses to Bespoke Tailoring, Fashion Management, Graphic Design, 3D Design, Illustration and Fine Art. Central St. Martins and the London College of Fashion are the most popular destinations, but with creative skills in such demand, courses and directions are constantly changing. As a department our aim is to produce versatile, confident, creative thinkers with the skills and ability to communicate their ideas and ultimately succeed in the creative industries and beyond.