Welcome to the Visual Arts Faculty. We are a thriving and successful faculty teaching Art, Craft and Design throughout the school and Fine Art, Three Dimensional Design, Art Textiles and Photography at KS4 and KS5. Our team comprises of a Head of Faculty, a Community Arts Link Teacher, seven teachers, three technicians and a Community Arts Administrator. For many years we have been in partnership with the University of Reading in training both GTP and PGCE trainee teachers who have all gone on to find positions in other schools or within this department.

The numbers of students choosing to take Art remain high and Photography is becoming increasingly popular. In the Sixth Form we have students studying Art, Craft and Design, Fine Art and Photography to A Level. Our students are highly successful and often go on to study a related subject at university. The opportunities within Art and Design are far reaching and many students are interested in areas such as; working in the film industry, taking degrees in special effects for film and TV; architecture, advertising and visual communications and art history are also popular choices for study in higher education.

In addition to our taught curriculum, we also offer a range of extra-curricular activities, including trips to galleries and museums. Students also take part in Artists’ workshops across all Key Stages and all students are offered a wide range of after-school enrichment activities, some of which are supported by Community Arts. The Peacock Gallery on site enables students to engage with the work of practising artists as well as showing their own work in a professional setting.

Community Arts offers courses and classes throughout the year to both adults and children making the most of the facilities which the department has to offer.

The aim for the department over the next few years is to maintain the high standards already achieved and to continue to attract more students, both in Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.

Miss K Wragg (Head of Department)