• To enable each pupil to develop their full artistic potential and aesthetic sensitivity to the visual and tactile elements of the world in which they live.
• To encourage self-confidence and awareness within each pupil, to enable them to use acquired knowledge and talents in a meaningful and constructive way.
• To be responsive to the needs of the pupils, parents and the wider community.
• To prepare our pupils for careers within the field and associated fields of art and design.

SUBSIDIARY AIMS

• To encourage an orderly environment within the classroom and an atmosphere which promotes tolerance of one another and respect for the personal and intellectual integrity of each individual.
• To develop the intellect, stimulate creative ability and heighten aesthetic awareness and sensitivity.
• To promote in pupils a growing appreciation and understanding of the relationships between their own work and that of other artists, craft workers and designers assisting them in the application of same.
• To provide opportunities for pupils to exploit their natural curiosity about the world around them, hence developing critical and analytical abilities through exploring, selecting and sorting, recording and reviewing.
• To continue to develop pupils' study skills by providing opportunities for exploration, investigation, problem-solving and decision-making.
• To encourage the development of practical skills and experimentation in a wide variety of media and current technology for a variety of purposes, thus, equipping pupils for relevant examinations or employment, for potential further education or for leisure activities.
• To develop methods of assessment which are meaningful to both pupils and parents and in line with the recommendations from D.E.N.I. and C.C.E.A. To stimulate an awareness, understanding and use of visual language.
• To encourage pupils to use their imagination in expressing their ideas, emotions and feelings in their work with confidence, identifying needs and targets that meet these needs and assisting them to make informed choices and decisions.
• To develop the ability to communicate ideas in a visual or tactile way using the required levels of skill in designing and making.
• To stimulate and develop the ability to identify, organize and solve problems selecting the appropriate materials, tools and methods.
• To develop pupils' capacity to work both independently and in collaboration with others, thus communicating freely with one another and encouraging a growing independence.
• To foster and encourage a sense of achievement and enthusiasm by helping pupils to develop ideas through to completion, reviewing, modifying, and evaluating the effectiveness of their work using value judgments.
• To enable pupils to work with equipment and to acquire a respect for the safe, hygienic and proper use of tools and instruments.
• To encourage through an aesthetic education, knowledge of the changing role of Art & Design in Society, providing rich and varied contexts for the development of thinking and reasoning skills associated with observing, recording, interpreting, inferring and predicting.
• To develop an awareness of the role of Art & Design in the planning and organisation of the design aspect of every day life.