Head of Art and Design

Lydia Chen

I connect Art and Design analysis with making, using scaffolds that help students notice, describe and interpret their own choices and explain what they may change.

Explore the collection

A little about me

In Art and Design, practical confidence and written analysis do not always develop at the same pace. I lead the department across three studios and want students who can make strong work to have language for the choices behind it as well.

A scaffold for analysis should help a student notice, describe and interpret decisions in their own work. It should not supply a finished reading of the artwork. The writing needs to stay connected to the process of making, so reflection helps the student explain what they tried and what they may change.

I also moderate GCSE personal-investigation coursework before submission. That gives the criteria a practical role: they need to be clear enough for students to understand and consistent enough for staff to apply. The balance is to support an individual investigation while making expectations visible.

How I approach a lesson

Connect written analysis to decisions students have made in practical work.
Use prompts to help students interpret their own choices rather than supplying an answer.
Moderate personal-investigation work against clear, consistently applied criteria.