Art
Studying Art is an intellectual pursuit and we have high expectations for our girls to engage in art practice exploring culture, emotion, spirituality, truth, controversy and aesthetics.
100% of Art applicants have secured places on prestigious Art Foundation and degree courses, including Kingston, Loughborough, London College of Fashion, Leeds, Ravensbourne and Central St Martin’s.
We believe that contemporary art practice is multi-disciplinary and we expose our students to a diverse range of art practices, from drawing and painting to print and sculpture, dressmaking to fine art textiles, design and digital manipulation, photography and film. We facilitate our girls in finding a concept and method of working that suits their interests and aspirations. Girls contribute to a broad range of school events, from creating the Carol Service programme to designing the set for the whole school production.
In the Pre-Preps we engage students in their visual world through practical making. Through addressing themes such as colour, pattern and texture in nature, students explore media and produce work of varied sizes, shapes and forms. At this stage we nurture a love of Art and enthusiasm for making.
Building on their experiences, Prep students embark on more focused Art making and creativity. In-depth discussions on artistic practices in Western and other cultures lead to artistic journeys and the development of personal artwork. Introducing new craft processes and developing artistic skills enables students to make art effectively. Students are taught to use Photoshop to manipulate imagery digitally as well as how to use a sewing machine to draw with. Foundation skills in drawing, painting and sculpture are also taught as part of the KS2 curriculum.
Senior Art students are encouraged to express their thoughts and identity through Art. An appreciation of diversity in our world and a search for truth through personal and creative expression forms the backbone of senior Art education. Students gain confidence in their artistic abilities and creative ideas and document their journey creatively in sketchbooks. Utilising digital media to create and document Art is also encouraged. This stage of their education focuses on the refinement of existing skills and engagement with an ever-increasing portfolio of processes and techniques such as etching, book-binding, screenprinting, dress-making, digital film and animation and photography.
In GCSE Art, students embark on Edexcel’s Unendorsed Art & Design Course. This complements the multi-disciplinary approach that we have in our department and enables students to carve a personal pathway in terms of both concept and selection of media and processes.
We offer Unendorsed Art, Craft & Design and Endorsed Digital and Lens-based Photography at A Level. Students can choose to do one or both courses and many go on to study Art at Foundation and Undergraduate level. Students are encouraged to visit relevant institutions and participate in external artistic opportunities such as debates, portfolio classes, artist talks and workshops. Students attend university fairs, open days and degree shows and are supported in their applications through in-depth discussions and portfolio reviews with their teachers.
Art is very popular at St Augustine’s Priory and students enjoy a range of opportunities from visiting Art galleries and participating in artist-led workshops to attending regular clubs ranging from textiles to photography.