Art & Photography

Head of Art – Tiffany Farrell

In the Art Department we endeavour to foster creativity and independent thinking in our students, as this leads to success, whatever their level of skill, and we encourage them to develop the best of their talents whilst at the same time investigating new and exciting ways to use their skills.

The Department comprises Tiffany Farrell, Head of Department, art teacher and photography specialist, Helen Clear and art technicians, Helen Wright and Ruth Dew. Together, we maintain a lively, creative and enthusiastic department and gain immense satisfaction from seeing our students produce challenging and beautiful art work in four spacious studios.

Sixth formers work with the younger pupils in Shell and Remove, leading sessions on particular styles of drawing as part of the popular Thursday afternoon extra curricular activities programme.

At the start of the 2008 Michaelmas term we opened a dedicated Lower Sixth studio, to give them their own work space and encourage them to work in the studio more independently, a facility already enjoyed by the Upper Sixth who, in recent years, have always worked in their own studio space.

The introduction of Photography A-level as an endorsement of the general Art and Design specification already offered, has opened up a whole new experience for our students, with many new and exciting techniques which have reanimated the darkroom as well as encouraged photography as a medium for expression throughout the department in a more structured and in-depth way. A new digital imaging suite has been in place since the start of the Michaelmas term 2008 with six new large screen computers with Photoshop software.

Students have opportunities to exhibit their work during the year, as internal exhibitions in the department, ‘work in progress’ shows and as part of the exhibitions for AS/A2 examinations.  The shows include a special viewing evening in a gallery style setting, always well attended by governors, parents and staff, to see and discuss the work of the pupils and the art scholars. Awards for the “Artist of the Month” are made during the Michaelmas and Lent terms.