For those passionate artists amongst our student body, they may want to follow their dream of attending a specialist art school or college rather than taking the traditional university route; setting them up for a career that aligns with their passion. However, most schools do not have the necessary specialist support available that will enable them to take this step. At the Foundation, we are proud to provide dedicated support to follow their dream and realise their potential; including an Art A Level course that incorporates multiple elements that reflect Foundation Art courses, and one-to-one support with personal statements, portfolio preparation, photographing and documenting work, and more.

Year 7 Onwards

• The Warwick School Arts Fest – now expanded to be a Foundation-wide event- engages pupils through a range of creative events . The festival involves visiting artist residentials, workshops, practical site-specific artworks and creative careers fairs.

• Our Art scholarships across the Foundation, Art Scholars’ Programme at The Kingsley School, and Young Artist programmes at King’s High School, and Warwick School act to stretch and challenge gifted artists across our three senior school , providing pupils with the opportunity for mentoring, as well as to create and organise their own sessions and events.

• Across the schools’ curricular, a strong emphasis is placed on identifying and nurturing artists with the potential to attend Art School or College.
• Enrichment programmes across the schools enable pupils to attend talks and workshops run by those either at or who have graduated from Art School
• Those leading our Art Departments provide consistent support throughout school to those considering Art College, including development of ideas and personal style and the formation of a portfolio of work.
• Schools across the Foundation have an affiliation with Warwickshire Open Studios. This affiliation exposes pupils to high level work from an early stage, turning their classrooms and other learning spaces into curated areas that can inspire them with their own work.

Year 10 and 11

• Pupils studying GCSE Art or seriously considering Art School applications are supported throughout the early stages of research into the kind of Foundation years and Art College courses that will suit their skillset and style.

• Pupils are given access to a wealth of resources through regular enrichment and careers events, as well as information such as regular bulletins and notices. These resources and tailored talks give pupils the opportunity to learn about a full range of options, including fields such as animation, photography & videography, and game design.

• Pupils are invited to attend trips focused on expanding their knowledge and inspiring their gathering of a portfolio, including visits to galleries and Art Fairs.

Sixth Form

• Pupils exhibit their work and take the lead in curating the Art Departments across our Foundation, considering key questions of curation such as the audience of their work, how it is seen, displayed and interacted with by the public. These experiences foster pupils’ experience in exhibitions and curatorship as part of their learning experience.

• Pupils attend further trips, including to providers such as the University of the Arts, London, to give them a clear sense of what studying Art beyond A Level is like.

• Scholars and other keen artists are given leadership opportunities, including mentoring, organising events through Sixth Form Societies, and proposing innovative ideas that contribute to the artistic life of the school.
• Teaching of the Art A Level incorporates multiple elements that reflect Foundation Art courses, including the taking of creative risks, and the utilisation of a range of materials, processes and techniques without immediate formal assessment.
• Art pupils receive one-to-one support with personal statements followed by personalised guidance with portfolio preparation, photographing and documenting work, creating digital portfolios specific to each institution, mock interview practice and physical portfolio support.