The end-of-year Art & Design Exhibition 2025 was a resounding success, offering an inspiring look into the extraordinary talent and passion of our students. This annual showcase highlighted the exceptional quality of work across the Art, Textiles and Design & Technology departments, celebrating creativity, innovation, and technical skill.
The Art Department
By Johannah Egan, Head of Art
The exhibition opened to an impressive display of creativity, showcasing the remarkable talent and individuality of our students. The exhibition celebrated a wide range of artistic expression, with students exploring bold ideas through diverse media including photography, ceramics, painting, printmaking, sculpture, video, and immersive installations.
The exhibition spanned the upper and lower galleries with GCSE work, while the central space highlighted A Level pieces. Visitors experienced everything from finely refined paintings to emotive, experimental installations, with artwork thoughtfully displayed throughout the building—including on the staircase and in adjoining galleries.
Themes this year reflected the breadth of student interests and perspectives, touching on culture, religion, ethnicity, identity, gender, and neurodiversity. Each piece told a story, and while many students were on hand to discuss their work, the art itself spoke volumes.
The Art Department was especially proud of the students’ achievements, with several securing places at prestigious art schools and universities, including unconditional offers from top institutions.
The Summer Art Exhibition 2025 was ultimately a celebration of the students themselves—their imagination, courage, and resilience. Through their work, they inspired us all and offered a glimpse of the bright futures ahead.
Design & Technology
By Gemma Chapman, Head of Design & Technology
This year, our DT and Leith’s Cookery students have produced an outstanding variety of projects — from beautifully crafted outdoor furniture to waistcoats inspired by Charles Jeffrey Loverboy. Each year, the showcase exemplifies the exceptional standard of creativity, innovation, and technical excellence achieved by our students.
At GCSE level, our DT students responded imaginatively to exam board themes such as Educational Toys and Storage, developing a wide range of inventive designs. Our A Level students took on more technically demanding projects, demonstrating their advanced practical skills and deep understanding of design principles.
Our partnership with Leiths School of Food and Wine continues to thrive, as we enter the third year of offering professional cookery courses at Sidcot. We are proud to maintain our Academy status with Leiths of London. All the catering at this event was planned, prepared, cooked, and delivered by our Year 12 class. A delicious selection of colourful sweet and savoury canapés delighted the audience — a real treat for everyone!
Textiles: A Runway of Talent
By Gemma Chapman, Head of Design & Technology
The Textiles students provided a spectacular element to the showcase, demonstrating a truly exceptional standard of fashion and garment creation.
Our Textiles students also showcased their work from both GCSE and A Level courses, including everything from an elegant wedding dress to contemporary swimwear. Spectators at the show observed exquisite embroidery, imaginative costume pieces, and beautifully finished garments that reflected both the coursework and personal exam projects. Each garment came with a story and involved many hours of hard work and dedication.
The fashion on display was very impressive. All the stunning garments the students produced were showcased in a catwalk event, allowing the intricate details, dynamic cuts, and sheer talent of our students to be truly appreciated.
Congratulations on your achievements, and we can’t wait to see what next year’s showcase event brings!
