Art & Design - Rydal Penrhos

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Thursday January 1, 1970

Art is everywhere; In the clothes we wear, sweet wrappers, book covers and web pages . We are constantly bombarded online and in the real world. Almost everything we touch and look at has been designed or considered for its aesthetic value.

Recent educational research has suggested that we cannot prepare pupils specifically for the jobs of the future because the world is moving so fast we do not know what those jobs might be.

We can, however, train or teach them to be creative, independent thinkers. At Rydal Penrhos we aim to give pupils a head start in terms of thinking in a creative manner and working from self-initiated ideas and interests.

A unique and exciting experience

Art is a unique and exciting experience at Rydal Penrhos Prep School, it is a place where pupils can develop their communication and creativity skills while also building their self-confidence. Above all they have the freedom to express themselves and have fun.

Senior School art students regularly volunteer at the Prep School and this creates a wonderful partnership between the two sites.

Pupils explore the subject through a thematic approach, culminating in work being displayed throughout the school for pupils and parents to admire. The school is full of artwork and this ensures every child has a feeling of pride and ownership.

Senior School

All pupils have Art lessons in Years 7, 8 and 9. Art is an option for GCSE and A-level.

At all levels, GCSE and A-level pupils are taught the basics in terms of formal elements and techniques. We teach through process or ‘doing’ and ‘showing’, rather than telling.

In the second year of all the courses pupils are encouraged to become more independent and to work from their own interests or ideas. These might be well-worn themes of portraiture or landscape, or more demanding themes such as ‘identity’ may be tackled through photography, paint, sculpture, ceramics or textiles.

The teachers work hard to tease out each pupil’s interests and strengths, and to encourage independent thinking.

We take numerous trips to visit galleries, both locally and further afield in Manchester and Liverpool, and we also go out into the spectacular Welsh countryside to find visual stimulation.

Rydal Penrhos’ Art department is a nurturing, encouraging environment where there are no boundaries in terms of scale, materials, subject matter and approach.

Outstanding facilities

We are fortunate to have a bespoke Art studio at Rydal Penrhos School, which is fully equipped with some exceptional pieces of equipment that enable each aspiring artist to get the most of their time during lessons and with their GCSE and A-level modules.

This includes the ever-increasing digital aspect to Art and Art Photography, with an Apple Mac coming complete with video/photo editing tools.