As our second HPQ course with the Courtauld gets underway, we believe this course could be truly transformative.

By Rose Aidin CEO

It’s so fun coming to school in a gallery, and learning about paintings, then seeing them with an expert and sharing ideas together, it’s like the best club in the world. - Y9 AHLU Art History HPQ student

Last week we welcomed a new group of eager students for our second free Art History HPQ (Higher Project Qualification) pilot at the Courtauld. Our first pilot in autumn last year was oversubscribed so it was fantastic to have another full intake of 13 - 15 year old state students for the second iteration of a course we believe could be truly transformative for the study of Art History in the UK.

With the generous support of the Rothschild Foundation and in-kind support from the Courtauld, the new course provides 10 weeks of teaching from Somerset House in London (and also online) on Sundays during term time and a follow-up period of online teaching and support for the completion of the project qualification. As well as providing a taught introduction to, and group discussion around, key periods and themes in art history, students have the opportunity to complete a Higher Project Qualification, with examining board Pearson, which is equivalent to up to half a GCSE.

We are particularly pleased to see that our new intake includes 24% students who identify as male, as since the pandemic our students have been mostly female. As with our pilot last year, a high proportion (71%) identify as from ethnic minorities and nearly half (45%) have widening participation indicators, with 49% of students being both. Additionally 16% participants are SEND students. All of this supports our strong belief that we need to encourage young people to try Art History at an earlier stage in their education, ahead of their GCSEs, if we are to reach the widest demographic, to impart transferable skills and to influence their longer-term choices.

The course will be led again by our experienced and longstanding Art History teacher Nicola Hepworth, supported by our Education and Outreach Officer, Ludo Amory. Nicola found the first pilot a fascinating and enjoyable journey, commenting:

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I've been so impressed by the insights the students brought to the classes: I heard perspectives that I had never considered, about paintings I have looked at many times. I can tell that they are switched on to art now, and that many of them will be coming back to The Courtauld, as well as visiting other galleries confidently.

Running a number of pilots for this younger age group at the Courtauld, at Waddesdon Manor, and at schools in Buckinghamshire over this three-year project, is helping us to shape the course for success.

Our longer-term ambition is that this course could be delivered in schools by their teachers, many of whom will not be qualified in art history. We also hope that this course might be adaptable to other organisations such as historic houses who might shape it around their own collections. The pilots help us to fully understand what resources might be required by others delivering this course and what training or support non-art history teachers might need to support their students.

For many years now take-up for art at GCSE has been declining and Art History Art Level is taught in fewer than 1% of state schools. If we successfully develop our new HPQ course for use in schools and other organisations, we could, pardon the pun, profoundly change the picture.