At Ellesmere Port Catholic High School the Art & Design department supports students in realising and fulfilling their potential, through experiencing a culture of collaboration and creativity. Our curriculum allows students to explore a breadth of materials, processes and resources. We deliver a flexible, knowledge rich curriculum across all Key Stages to broaden the cultural literacy of our students. Underpinning our assessment values from KS3-5, are 4 essential skills which we believe are stepping stones to successful outcomes. These key skills are known as ‘Develop,’ ‘Experiment,’ ‘Record’ and ‘Create.’ We have a shared belief that creative education is fundamental for students to explore culture, identity, and craftsmanship. Along with critical thinking and problem solving, the subject of Art facilitates students to make connections, developing a deeper understanding of the world around them.  Our teaching style and curriculum aims to instil high values such as being resilient, respectful, reflective, adventurous, and creative. At the heart of our department is quality first teaching, where we strive to offer students an opportunity to study historical and contemporary artists, architects, crafts people, and designers from a global perspective. 

Our KS3 curriculum in Art is designed to help students develop a range of skills including drawing, painting, textiles, and sculpture. Taking inspiration from a diverse range of artists and designers, we feel it is essential for our students to understand how their creative skills can be contextualised in the real world. In Year 7, students are introduced to the basic elements of art and spend a significant amount of time developing their understanding and application of these skills in a project inspired by nature. In Year 8, students investigate Folk Art through surface pattern and sculpture. In Year 9, students explore activism and sustainable fashion through mix media and design. Our curriculum embodies challenge as students’ progress from Year 7-9 to preparing them for the next phase of their educational career at GCSE.

Following the Eduqas syllabus, our KS4 curriculum challenges students to refine their creative practice and demonstrate independence as they progress through the course. Taught in a mixed ability setting, our students thrive from a flexible curriculum that can meet the needs of all students of all abilities. Exposed to a range of styles, mediums and processes, our aim at GCSE is to equip students with the necessary skills to achieve success and broaden their understanding of Art & Design, artists and their specific techniques and to, ultimately, create their own pieces of art work in line with the requirements at GCSE.

Following the Eduqas Art Craft and Design endorsement, our A Level Art students can further develop their personal areas of interest through a variety of different artistic mediums. Independent practice is essential to success at A Level, with teachers facilitating learning through targeted feedback, tutorials and creative workshops.

Our A Level students aspire the lower school, producing confident, personal, and meaningful outcomes in relation to their chosen themes.