Filter by Category
Filter by Author
On Friday 14th November, our GCSE and A Level Art students had the exciting opportunity to visit the newly refurbished National Portrait Gallery in London. The trip was designed...
We are thrilled to share the success of our annual GCSE and A-Level Art Exhibition, which took place last week and drew a fantastic crowd of students, families, staff, and members...
GCSE and A-Level Art & Photography Trip to Barcelona Over the spring term, a group of our GCSE and A-Level Art and Photography students enjoyed an exciting four-day trip to...
Artist Darcy Turner Inspires Students with Wire Sculpture Workshop Bushey Meads School was delighted to welcome renowned artist Darcy Turner for a fantastic Enrichment Day, where...
GCSE and A-Level Art Students Find Inspiration at Tate Britain Last week, our talented GCSE and A-Level Art students embarked on an inspiring trip to Tate Britain, one of the UK’s...
Year 11 GCSE Art Students Excel in PPE with Stunning Final Pieces Year 11 GCSE Art students have recently showcased their extraordinary talent and creativity during their art PPE...
On Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th July, the year 10 GCSE Art classes took on their first ever art PPE. This was a huge challenge as we have all gone back to their original project of...
Thursday 4th of July saw the annual Bushey Meads GCSE and A Level Art Exhibition. Work was also exhibited by students from Little Reddings and Hartsbourne schools. Many...
On Friday 19th January, the GCSE and A Level art students went on a day trip to the Tate Modern. The GCSE students have recently received their Externally Set Assignment title...
The new year 10 GCSE art classes have started with a bang! We have an amazingly talented cohort across the 2 classes and we have enjoyed every minute with them so far. Both...
On Friday 14th November, our GCSE and A Level Art students had the exciting opportunity to visit the newly refurbished National Portrait Gallery in London. The trip was designed to support their coursework on identity, offering them first-hand inspiration from some of the most influential portrait artists in British history.
Upon arrival, students were split into two workshop groups, each exploring identity through a different creative lens.
Group One took part in an Art and Identity workshop, working directly from original artworks in the gallery’s collection. Equipped with different coloured paper and drawing materials, students learned observational drawing techniques, explored how artists communicate personal narratives, and developed pages of expressive studies that will feed into their coursework. These techniques challenged the students in their usual drawing styles and got them to focus on applying block areas of mid, dark and light tones.
Group Two investigated Identity Through Photography, learning how photographers construct meaning through pose, lighting, composition, and context. Students experimented with ideas for their own photographic portraits with the use of costume, props and lighting.
Exploring different ways of working really showed the students a variety of approaches to portraiture which they can explore further in their own work in art and/or photography.
After the workshops, everyone had time to explore the galleries independently. Students were really inspired by the contemporary portrait displays, where diverse voices and modern approaches to identity offered fresh ideas and creative direction. Some were also fascinated by the more traditional portraits and the way artists from past centuries captured character and status through meticulous detail, composition, and use of light—offering valuable insights and inspiration for their own approaches to portraiture.
The trip was a valuable experience for all involved—full of lively discussion, thoughtful sketching, and new ways of seeing themselves as artists. We look forward to seeing how this visit sparks new developments in their GCSE and A Level projects over the coming weeks.
