Like most practical subjects, studying Art can feel very exposing for young people, and often their measure of good art making is drawing or painting in a realistic style. Pupils can label themselves ‘no good at art’ at quite a young age and it’s important to tackle this misconception head on straight away.
I start my first Y7 classes with the instruction to be open-minded and not too self-critical. We can teach them concrete technical skills no matter what level of art experience they have, and pupils will see their skills improve within a few lessons. They are always genuinely amazed at what they can create!
We try to dispel the myth that you can only be good at art if it is innately inside you – so many skills can be learnt if you have the interest and commitment. One of our most important aims is to build up pupils’ confidence and to show them that they each have something unique to contribute: it’s that individuality that makes art so rich. One of the many special things about our subject is its breadth and diversity.
We spend a lot of time trying to broaden pupils’ perspective of what art is, encouraging them to be curious and take risks. When pupils start in Year 7 our focus is on establishing core skills and levelling the playing field amongst the children. There’s a lot of drawing work, and we encourage pupils to slow down the pace, look properly and resist the urge to race through their work.
We introduce pupils to a range of artists, ideas and techniques, which includes etching, using the printing presses, learning about colour theory and painting. Some of them might know about the colour wheel and the primary/secondary colours, and we push that to another level of sophistication. We’ll finish Year 7 with some clay work, so at the end of their first year they’ve already experienced a broad range of skills, built up their confidence and had loads of fun.
In Y8, pupils delve into 3-dimensional, sculpture work. They’ll start with a project that’s inspired by architecture, opening the door for conversations about design and how art and maths/engineering can intersect. Along the way, they’ll be introduced to artists and designers to see how professionals explore those ideas and techniques through real life examples.
Elsewhere in Y8, we’ll explore portraiture, which involves lino printing as well as realistic portraiture. It’s interesting how some pupils who have struggled with the lifelike drawing often create the most confident, fantastic lino prints. They can be incredibly experimental with printing and collage processes, layering colour and mark making in exciting ways. Most pupils really love the physicality of using lino tools, rollers and the printing press.
I think there is a creative outlet for everybody. Whether that’s painting, sculpture, design, photography or textiles. We have students that struggle with drawing, but give them a ball of clay, and they handle it with such confidence and spatial awareness. It’s just different brains. We are trying to expose them to all those options, encourage them to have a go, and then develop what they connect with.
By the time pupils reach GCSE and A level, the focus is very much pupil centred. We take them through an extensive series of practical workshops to broaden their minds and work out where their individual interests lie. Pupils are introduced to new ways of working such as wearable sculpture, digital image manipulation and experimental drawing. In Y12, professional artists and designers run painting and textile workshops and there is a 12-week life drawing programme. By the time pupils settle into their projects, everybody is doing something completely different. A ‘one size fits all’ is not the right approach, certainly for A level, and we are lucky to have the resources here to teach in this individualised way at GCSE too.
We recently had a workshop from an ex-Highgate pupil who has become a very successful portrait painter. His approach to making work is very quick and direct, often completing complex expressive pieces in a matter of hours. It was a challenging but positive experience for pupils, who are often anxious about everything being perfect first time. By trying out his physical and fast-paced style themselves, they discovered different ways to paint and learnt that if doesn’t work out first time it doesn’t matter, it’s all a learning curve. It was so encouraging to hear from a professional artist about how you can successfully sustain a living in this field.
The number of pupils opting for Art at GCSE and A level has remained consistently strong for a senior school of our size, and the high standard of conceptual thinking and technical making is evident in the diverse range of artwork displayed in the wonderful end of course exhibitions and the consistently high grades achieved each year.
We have a good number of A Level pupils who apply to Art & Design Foundation and degree courses such as Fine Art, Architecture, Film & Media, Theatre Design and Fashion Design. This year 90% of our Y13’s are applying! Each pupil is assigned an Art teacher to guide them as they put their portfolios together and navigate the application process to all the top UK and international Art & Design institutions.
The skill set amongst the staff is huge, including specialist Fine Art and Architecture degrees and MA’s and a wealth of professional practice, making and exhibiting their own work. This valuable hands-on experience guides pupils to push themselves to ambitious standards.
A lot of my conversations with pupils and their families at the A level juncture revolve around the value of Art and how the subject will be perceived beyond school. There are so many beneficial and transferable skills. The ability to think creatively, solve problems, be visually literate, be emotionally intelligent, work independently and project manage, be organised and disciplined. The message that we’re getting from employers is that these skills are a huge asset and something that can help a candidate really stand out amongst a level playing field.
Highgate pupils are encouraged to take A Level subjects that they are interested in and excited by and I fully support this. There are all sorts of wonderful combinations, and it works – they’re often the happiest pupils. The subjects feed into one another in ways you wouldn’t ordinarily think, and we encourage pupils to base their art and design projects on their other subjects; Science, Maths, Drama, Music, Classics etc. It makes for some of the most exciting and personal work as they are really invested.
In Art, we support the pupils at every stage of their creative journey to equip them with the tools to express themselves, develop their own visual language and become independent thinkers and makers. I feel very privileged to work with so many amazing young people and in such a dynamic, creative department.
To find out more about studying Art at Highgate, visit the web brochure here.
About the author Susannah Keay, Director of Art Susannah joined Highgate in 2012 as an Art teacher and took over as Head of Art in 2023. After graduating in Fine Art Printmaking from the Royal College of Art, she made and exhibited her own work whilst teaching on degree, running artist workshops in galleries such as the Hayward and Serpentine and participating in artist residencies.
