Fine Arts College

The College was founded in 1978 by artists Nicholas Cochrane and Candida Cave and was originally located in the YMCA on Tottenham Court Road and specialised in the teaching of Art & History of Art. In 1982, the College relocated to Belsize Park and expanded its curriculum to cover the 25 subjects it teaches today. In 1994, the GCSE department opened, followed by Year 9 entry in 2018.

In 2002 the College moved to Centre Studios, a converted Victorian dairy in Englands Lane, which remains its main site today.

In 2015 the College became part of the Dukes Education Group, a family of schools and colleges encouraging excellence, located throughout the UK. [2]

The ethos of the College is one of respect and hard work. This informs the approach to teaching which fosters the talents and ambitions of students in preparation for higher education.  Academic and creative abilities are equally valued and encouraged. The college is academically non-selective and the enrolment procedure is based on an informal but rigorous interview when both the quality of the student and their determination to achieve is assessed. The suitability of subject choice is based on previous achievement and references from previous schools. Students are encouraged to play a positive part in college life and local community. The small size of FAC is particularly important in encouraging and supporting students individually – moving away from the ‘us and them’ teacher-pupil relationships of their younger years. Student’s progress is closely monitored with fortnightly reports and regular tracking and tests. However, FAC also encourages self-discipline and self-motivation: the informal nature of relationships between staff and students strengthens high expectations and a rigorous approach to work. Lessons challenge the students to engage in discussion and debate so that, far from being simply ‘taught’, students become inquiring critical thinkers and independent learners. FAC’s aim is to inspire a passion for learning that will last a lifetime and continue to enrich beyond formal exams. The College regularly receives positive feedback from parents and students, either through student and parent surveys or through individual cards and emails of thanks.

The College operates across three separate sites within about 200 yards of one another, located between Belsize Park, Chalk Farm and Swiss Cottage tube stations. The main site, Centre Studios, houses the academic departments and the Fine Art, Graphics, Music, Music Technology, Media, Textiles, Film Studies, and Drama studios. The two other sites consist of the Photography studios and Maths and Science departments in Lambolle Place.

• Pupils are highly independent, self-motivated learners, who respond with enthusiasm to the excellent teaching and the stress on individuality
• Pupils are strongly self-aware and understand the value of the decisions they make for their future. Pupils show high levels of moral responsibility and understanding
• Pupils have an excellent understanding appreciation of diversity
• Pupils new to the school respond well to the colleges’ more liberal approaches to learning, quickly overcoming any previous negative attitudes to school.
• The vast majority of pupils successfully gain places at the universities and or colleges of their choice, principally in the fields of arts and humanities. This is due to a combination of factors: excellent, highly skilled and specialised teaching, highly motivated attitudes to learning and well-targeted preparation.
• Pupils actively engage in developing knowledge, gaining strong levels of subject understanding. Challenging, engaging and well-paced teaching prompts excellent motivation and response, with mature, yet robust classroom discussion.
• A major factor in this is the bonds of trust created though warm and supportive relationships between teachers and pupils. Much is done through the example of the leaders and teachers, based on developing a liberal approach towards self-awareness that seeks to develop a keen sense of responsibility for oneself and one’s decisions
• An established ethos of taking responsibility for their own actions. A community of tolerance, empathy and understanding
• Excellent resources and teaching expertise allow these pupils to flourish.

Fine Arts College has produced a number of students who have gone on to become artists, actors, musicians, or successful in another aspect of the creative arts. See page on College website: https://www.hampsteadfinearts.com/about-the-college/alumni/

• Chris Kenney
• Suzanne Holtom
• Consuelo Giorgi
• Terri Murray
• Candida Cave

Kayvan Novak played the part of 'Brian Badonde', challenging Nicholas Cochrane to an art duel for the series Facejacker.

Gideon Summerfield, an artist with ambition.

Former Belsize Park pupils to launch UK’s first anti-FGM billboard advertising campaign

Absolutely Education interview the principle Candida Cave in the Spring 2018 issue. (p. 72–75)[3]

• School website