Girls are thriving in our Award Winning Creative Arts Department
Creativity is at the heart of life at Prior’s Field. Our Creative Arts department offers Fine Art, Textiles and Photography as individual subjects at GCSE and A-Level, including a fully equipped darkroom, all taught in stunning, naturally lit and spacious studio classrooms.
This inspiring environment allows girls to think deeply, work boldly and develop their own creative voice, supported by a department that is proud to celebrate regular external recognition and awards, including recent success in the Young Talent of Tomorrow Design Competition with the Graduate Fashion Foundation.
A-level teaching is deliberately ‘university-style’, with each girl allocated her own working area where projects can be developed over time. The atmosphere is informal yet purposeful, always supervised by a highly creative team who guide, challenge and encourage as ideas are shared, refined and brought to life.
The Creative Arts Department offers small class sizes with one-to-one tuition and large studio spaces. We are privileged to be able to offer girls up to 3 hours a week of art and creativity within their timetables, where girls will experience a supportive yet challenging course where they can flourish and achieve.
Award Winning Creative 2025-26:
The Young Artists’ Summer Show, Royal Academy London
- Martha’s (First Form) work was selected for the 2025 exhibition (Art Scholar).
Young Fashion Designer UK 2025 Competition
- Gemma, Lower School (Third Form): won first place in her age category.
- Annabel, (GCSE -Forth Form): secured second place overall and also won the Upcycle Challenge.
- Ellie (A Level -Lower Sixth): achieved second place in her category and won the Digital Film element.
Textile Student Artist 2025 (Textiles Skill Centre)
- Rosie (5th Form) was selected for the final 10 in the GCSE category.
JCA Jimmy Choo Academy – Win a Full Scholarship Competition 2025
- Ellie (Lower Sixth) was awarded a scholarship to the Jimmy Choo Academy in London.
Young Talent of Tomorrow (Graduate Fashion Foundation Design Competition)
- Emily (First Form) was named Runner-Up in the Years 7–9 category.
Fine Art
Fine Art at GCSE and A-Level is focused on individual projects that are generally guided by the students themselves. This means they have a range of choices for their project themes and the kind of approach that they take to the course.
Techniques and media are tailored to suit individuals and these include: painting, printmaking, sculpture, illustration, digital media, film, clay work and a wide range of approaches to drawing.
- The department runs international trips to locations such as Venice, Florence, and Paris annually
- We also make good use of exhibitions in the UK to support project ideas.
Photography
Photography at GSCE and A-level follows an individual approach and students use varying methods and media to respond to their chosen topics. They are encouraged to study the work of artists and photographers and this is supported by frequent visits to galleries as stimulus to enhance their own work. Weekly one-on-one support from teachers is offered and this is vital to aid the development and success of our students.
Starting with traditional darkroom methods and ways of handling film, students develop a practical understanding that gives them the foundation for exploring photography as a form of media and a way of responding to the visual world around them. Photography also includes a range of lens-based media, including film, video, digital media and alternative print processes.
Prior to GCSEs girls are introduced to photography through weekly run lunchtime and after school clubs. It is then a timetabled subject if taken for GCSE.
Textiles
If you love fashion and textiles and want to be part of an award-winning department, then Textile Design at GCSE or A-Level would be an excellent choice!
Take part in inspirational trips abroad. Locations have included Paris, Florence and Venice. Visit world-renowned fashion houses, workshops, exhibitions and fashion schools.
We offer small class sizes and one-to-one tuition. We have two large studio spaces that are also available at the weekend and evenings. Students enjoy challenging and exciting work, state of the art equipment and facilities for knitting, sublimation printing, sewing and laser cutting fabric.
Get involved in workshops led by industry professionals. Recent examples include: millinery, weaving, felting, knitting, illustrative textiles and shibori with botanical dyes.
Open Studios and Clubs
Unique to Priors Field, is that we offer the girls Open studios, which means that the studios are open every lunch time and four night a week for extra tuition and use of the creative spaces.
We also offer a wide variety of clubs which include:
- Fashion Society
- Photography
- Sketch and scrap
- Knit and Crochet
Sixth Form Enrichment
- Trips to London, overseas trips, and artists and designer’s workshops
- Exam groups entered for the Young Fashion Designers UK competition
- Involvement in Prior’s Field events such as Rock Chic, PF Alive and Prize Giving
- Support with portfolio preparation for university applications
University and beyond
Prior’s Field A Level students have gone on to study Art and Photography foundation and degree courses at: Central St Martin’s, Glasgow School of Art, Ruskin College Oxford, Camberwell College of Arts, Oxford Brookes, Loughborough, Leeds and Manchester Metropolitan.
Prior’s Field, Textiles students have gone on to such establishments as: Central St Martin’s, London College of Fashion, Manchester Met, Falmouth, Nottingham Trent, Bournemouth and Cardiff to study Fashion, Costume Design, Textile Design, Interior Design, Retail and Marketing and Sportswear Design.
Ultimate career directions include:
Fashion, knitwear, interior and costume design, as well as retail/buying, magazine journalism, styling, merchandising, marketing, trend forecasting, tailoring, fabric sourcing, production, management and many more!
Many girls have progressed to work in a variety of fields, including illustration, fashion, design, film and architecture as well as marketing and advertising.
Alumnae Girls Careers
We have several Alumnae Girls with incredible careers in the fashion and textiles industries from Gymshark to starting their own businesses.
Visit the full list of our girls in creative careers:
“Teaching in art, music, and drama is of high quality and enables pupils to develop strong technical skills alongside creativity and self-expression. Pupils demonstrate confidence, imagination, and pride in their work, which is showcased regularly through performances, exhibitions, and productions.”
