Art & Design
The Expressive Arts Faculty provide a wide variety of rich experiences across all year groups. We value personalisation and choice in the classroom, and wherever possible, we give the pupils creative input into their learning contexts as we believe that this ownership of learning increases both engagement and attainment. If learners feel empowered and are encouraged to take responsibility for their choices, then enjoyment and success often follow.
Beyond the expected high quality classroom teaching and SQA course provision, we also provide an expansive range of extra-curricular experiences for all pupils from S1 to S6. We have two big concerts each year involving all 10 Ensembles that rehearse throughout the year – String Orchestra, Folk Band, Jazz Band, Wind Band, Wind Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Junior Choir, Senior Pupil/Staff Choir, S6 Advanced Higher Band, as well as classroom Music from our ‘School Of Music’ programme.
This year we have showcased the Senior Artwork folios in an exhibition open to pupils, staff, parents and carers. We also had a wonderfully creative exhibition entitled Marseum, where all our S1pupils, plus our feeder primary P6 pupils created their own responses to the Edinburgh 900 project, celebrating 900 years of the City of Edinburgh. We have an after-school Drama Club that produces a School Show every year and this June, pupils from S1-S6 will be presenting William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, set in the 1970s with a live band and lots of dancing and humour!
After the successful introduction of the School of Music programme in S1 this year, we are now rolling this out to run a School of Drama, and a choice of Schools run by the Art department.
We showcase the senior phase practical work in Drama at evening performances so that parents, carers and friends can see the wonderful work that is created for their SQA practical exams, and so that the upcoming years can see the standard being set for their future course choices.
Note on Course Levels: N4 - National 4, N5 - National 5, H - Higher, AH - Advanced Higher
As we prepare our learners for the world of work and life beyond school, we are acutely aware that our young people will have a much more varied work-life experience than previous generations. Our embedded inclusion of meta-skills across all our curriculum areas – creativity, integrity, curiosity, critical thinking, leadership, initiative – are there to help them become a workforce that is self-motivated, able to adapt and can communicate effectively with others. Consequently, the Faculty equips our young people for most jobs. The skills developed when studying in the Expressive Arts Faculty supports careers in Law, Medicine, Teaching, Journalism, and Media, as well as facilitating careers in our subject areas e.g. Art, Design, Theatre, Film and Music.
Creative Industries add £124bn of value to UK and add almost £25bn to UK trade balance, and as of the end of 2023 they were 14% above pre-pandemic levels. The Creative Industries outperformed the UK economy over the period between 2010 and 2023 in terms of growth in GVA (Gross Value Added). When adjusted for inflation, the Creative Industries’ GVA was 35% larger in 2023 than it was in 2010. As a society we are increasingly aware of the value of creativity, the Arts and Design as integral parts of both our working lives and our leisure activities and these are currently growth areas in terms of employment.
As a faculty we strive to help young people develop their learning in two ways, building subject specific knowledge and understanding as well as developing a range of transferable skills, supporting them to be able to access a wide variety of jobs, career opportunities and further study when they leave school.
Tel: 0131 669 2324
Email: admin@portobello.edin.sch.uk
Pupil absence reporting line:
0131 657 9057