PSP Art by Playful Scholarship Portfolio - Curriculum

PSP Art

Playful Scholarship Portfolio - Curriculum

Only available to Students of Wimbledon High School GDST.

The Fine Art PSP Pathway fosters creative confidence, visual literacy, and independent expression. From structured skill-building in the Lower School to highly personalised inquiry at A Level, students learn to generate ideas, refine techniques, and engage critically with the world through visual language.

Foundation PSP Fine Art (Years 7–8)

Students are introduced to a wide range of techniques and traditions. In Year 7, they develop skills in observational drawing, colour theory, acrylic painting, and lino printing, exploring abstraction and pattern. Year 8 builds on this through Surrealism, Cubism, Still Life, and portraiture — using pencil, watercolour, mixed media, and perspective.

Sketchbook work, gallery visits, and structured lessons promote visual curiosity and core skills in research, recording, and evaluation. While tasks are staff-led, students are encouraged to reflect personally and make considered choices, laying the groundwork for independent creative thinking.

Pathways PSP Fine Art (Years 9–11)

Students gain creative autonomy while refining technique. In Year 9, they experiment with abstraction and the figure through collage, photography, printmaking, and Photoshop. Year 10 themes include Fragility and Reflections & Distortions, incorporating location drawing (e.g. Kew Gardens), latex, screen printing, and modroc.

Year 11 focuses on the GCSE externally assessed project and a personal theme. Students independently select media and artist references, refine outcomes through iterative development, and articulate the ideas behind their choices. Written reflection and sustained sketchbook practice become central, alongside growing critical analysis and ambition.

Advanced PSP Fine Art (Years 12–13)

A Level Fine Art is led by individual research and long-form project planning. Students begin with a technical and conceptual skills unit (e.g. “Borders and Edges”) and then develop a Personal Investigation supported by a 3000-word written study. Media includes oil paint, wire, etching, photography, latex, modroc, and mixed media — chosen to suit each student’s direction.

Work is shaped by investigation into personal and cultural themes such as identity, space, memory, or transformation. Students conduct visual research through sketchbooks, gallery visits, books, podcasts, and primary observation. Final pieces are ambitious, personal, and highly resolved — preparing students for applications to Art, Architecture, Design, and related disciplines.

This pathway enables students to move from structured technique to confident artistic inquiry — cultivating independence, resilience, and the creative habits needed for university and beyond. Art at WHS is not just about skill — it is about making ideas visible and exploring the world through a creative lens.