What kind of art activities do the children experience in school?
I am very lucky to work with an exceptional team of talented teachers and artists. Between us, we have a range of interests and specialisms from theatre design to printmaking, photography to ceramics and digital art to sculpture. We are happy to turn our hand to pretty much anything the students show an interest in and are always keen to learn new skills. At KGS, we have the freedom to develop our art curriculum in whichever way we see fit. We spend the first two years, helping the students to develop technical skills and building their artistic confidence. They are introduced to drawing, painting, pottery, printmaking, digital art and animation.
From Year 9 Art is an option at KGS, so the classes become more concentrated with the genuinely interested students. The work becomes more sophisticated and begins to focus more on the deeper meanings that art can explore. The students are beginning to develop the investigative and exploratory skills that will be necessary for GCSE and A Level.
What is an art scholarship?
Though Kingston Grammar School is a highly academic environment, we value the importance of the Arts, and sport for that matter, in providing a fully rounded education for our students. We appreciate that encouraging and developing creative skills builds self-confidence and supports the rest of the curriculum. In recognition of this we offer Art Scholarships to students entering the school in Year 7 or in Year 12 for A Level. Potential scholarship candidates apply and are assessed on their artistic ability, potential and passion for the subject. Successful applicants receive a discount on the school fees and access to extra technical workshops and gallery trips, such as the Surrey Sculpture show at the Landmark Centre.
How many do you have and how does their curriculum differ from others (if at all)?
We currently have 31 Art Scholars throughout the school. We are always on the lookout for students who have worked hard, demonstrated commitment to the visual arts and have developed exceptional creative skills, so extra Art Scholarships can be awarded at any point in a student’s KGS career.
Apart from a few extra opportunities, such as designing the Head Master’s official Christmas cards each year, and some technical workshops, all students are offered the same creative and wide-ranging art curriculum at the school.