“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
- Pablo Picasso
Art and Design enables learners to explore, interpret, and express the world around them through creativity, imagination, and critical thinking. It provides the foundation for understanding visual culture, design principles, and artistic expression whilst helping pupils to communicate ideas, emotions, and perspectives in ways that transcend language. Through studying art and design, learners develop confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong appreciation for creativity as a vital part of human experience.
Through subject-specific training sessions, trainees will develop secure knowledge of key artistic concepts and processes including drawing, painting, sculpture, digital media, and design, while refining the pedagogical skills essential to high-quality art and design teaching. You will also explore how to nurture creativity and critical reflection in learners, enabling pupils to analyse visual elements, experiment with materials, and produce personal and meaningful outcomes.
You will train within a dedicated Art and Design cohort throughout the year. This focused approach ensures that you develop the knowledge and skills necessary to teach across the full art and design curriculum.
All secondary Art and Design trainees receive specialist subject training within their placement schools, supported by a dedicated and highly experienced subject mentor. Explicit links are made across teaching phases from KS2 to KS5, ensuring the content goes beyond the KS3 and KS4 National Curriculum to promote a deep understanding of artistic processes, visual literacy, and learner progression across all key stages.