A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
The Art Department is housed in the Casson Art School, named after Old Eastbournian Sir Hugh Casson, the notable architect, interior designer and artist. Staff specialise in range of disciplines including fine-art, photography, three-dimensional design and graphic design.
Department Overview
The department enjoys exceptional facilities and strives to stimulate, encourage and sustain pupils’ interest in the enjoyment of art. Bright and spacious studio spaces enable pupils to work at an ambitious scale using an exciting range of media and processes including painting, printmaking, sculpture and digital media. Pupils have access to state-of-the-art ceramic and 3D studios, equipped with three large kilns, glaze room, plaster studio and outdoor sculpture area. Pupils are also provided with Adobe Creative Cloud accounts, keeping them up-to-date with industry standard software from Year 9 to A-level.
The Year 9 follow the Bridge Curriculum designed in collaboration with St Andrew’s Prep. This specification is designed to be sequentially developmental, building on pupils’ prior knowledge, nurturing their passion for art and design and laying the groundwork for further study at GCSE and beyond. The academic year is split into three components focusing on different core disciplines including fine art, digital media and 3D Design. Projects will vary each year in response to cross-curricular themes, current affairs and relevant exhibitions. In particular we work in collaboration with Towner Eastbourne, making the most of our close proximity to an award-winning contemporary art gallery.
The department offers GCSE and A-level ‘Art, Craft & Design’ following the Eduqas specification for both qualifications. This broad title supports individual expression and development of creative practice in any media the pupil chooses. Small class sizes allow staff to tailor the courses to pupils’ interests and strengths resulting in a diversity of outcomes. Visiting moderators have commented on the individual identity shown in presentations at both GCSE and A-level.
The department is very proud of its outstanding exam success and a legacy of leavers who have pursued creative paths, securing offers to study fine art, design, photography, architecture, textiles and fashion at their chosen universities.
Beyond the Classroom
The Art Department runs a large co-curricular programme to give access to our facilities and staff expertise. Pupils are encouraged to work in the department independently during any of the department opening times.
Year 9 pupils also have the chance to build large-scale ceramic pieces to display in the gardens around the College or explore ideas through photography. As part of the Gold Arts Award and gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, pupils develop ideas for exhibitions with local galleries, conduct workshops with children, and explore darkroom photographic ideas. As part of the service and skills (S@S) programme, pupils have also painted murals for local schools.
We run extra sessions to prepare pupils for applying to art colleges and to ensure that they make the right choices. Every year we welcome a number of visiting speakers including university tutors and former pupils who share their experiences and help inform current pupils about the vast range of options available to them.
Gallery trips
Seeing art in the flesh is an invaluable learning experience and school trips to galleries are key to the success of our department. We are regular visitors to the Towner Gallery (a stone’s throw from the Casson Art School) with all year groups who enjoy the evolving shows. We visit south-coast galleries including the De La Warr Pavilion and Hastings Contemporary, as well as making regular trips to London to see exhibitions of major artists.
ARTS AWARD
The College also offers Arts Awards to give pupils an exciting new creative qualification. Sixth formers can follow a creative path in a number of different directions and whichever route they choose to follow, be it via art, dance, design, drama, music, photography or textiles, they are supported by an adviser and creative mentor.
"The scale and ambition of many final examples was outstanding. It was a pleasure to moderate such a diverse range of exciting and imaginative work which takes place in this centre of excellence for art and design.”
A Level
GCSE
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- A vibrant piece of art featuring a freckled, short-haired person pulling a playful face with their tongue out, surrounded by exaggerated, oversized food items like a cheeseburger and cheesy chips.
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- An expressive art painting of a woman and an older man both shouting, with intense expressions. Vibrant yellow and orange lines radiate from behind them, emphasising the energy and emotion in their faces.
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- An art painting of a woman with long brown hair reading a newspaper labelled Business, framed within the screen of a mobile phone—evoking a camera app interface—set against a brick wall backdrop.
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- An artful painting of bathroom items: a Colgate toothpaste tube, round mirror, green bar of soap in a dish, white soap with “Soap” written behind it, and a toothbrush against a light background.
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- A ceramic art sculpture resembling a pineapple with textured, overlapping green scales and glossy leaves, set against a plain white background.
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- This art piece shows a young boy with blond hair and a blue jacket holding a stone by the water, whilst in the background, a distant figure stands on a reflective, cloudy landscape beneath a dramatic sky.
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- A ceramic sculpture featuring three abstract, human-like figures standing closely together on a textured, blue and green circular base. This unique work of art has a certificate partially visible in the background.
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- An artful painting of a person with glasses and a green scarf stands before a green wooden building with a large window, set against a tranquil background of trees.
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- A striking art painting of a modern building with many windows reflecting another building, above a brick wall covered in colourful graffiti art, including cartoon faces and bold letters, set against a cloudy sky.
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- A mixed-media art collage showing a blue sailboat on the sea, a patchwork sky, and nautical items like a blue bottle, anchor, ropes, and mugs in the foreground. The scene is framed in an oval shape.
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- An art piece resembling bright orange and yellow flames rises from a dark, circular base, displayed in the corner of a white room.
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- A striking mixed-media art piece featuring a large green leaf and a painted portrait of a woman with long brown hair and hoop earrings, set against modern white buildings and a blue sky.
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- A striking mixed media art piece featuring a handgun, a helicopter, a skull, and a blue, white, and red bullseye target set against a vibrant yellow and orange gradient background.
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- A framed painting of a young person in a school uniform holding a small bottle, set against a newspaper background. Two spray cans are placed on a glass shelf in front, blending street art elements into the scene.
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- This art piece depicts a brown cow with a white forehead gazing over a wooden fence, framed by trees and a green field beneath a clear sky.
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- An artful painting of an older woman with white hair, smiling and wearing a black jacket over a teal shirt, set against a light blue patterned background.
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- An art painting shows two young men with similar features in the foreground, both wearing dark jackets. Behind them, a person lies on their back atop a graffiti-covered structure, with a Ferris wheel visible in the background.
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- A colourful work of art featuring a smiling, shirtless young child with fair hair, holding up three fingers against a vibrant, abstract background filled with rich red, orange, and green tones.
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- Three geometric, stone-like ceramic art sculptures with metal-lined windows are displayed on a white plinth, the middle black piece resting on a red brick. A dried branch lies in the background.
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- Two abstract sculpted busts are positioned side by side; this art features a light-coloured ceramic head with geometric features and a darker, metallic version, both cut open to reveal detailed interior sections.
