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Visual Arts Aptitude

As we are passionate about visual art education at The Hewett Academy and the Inspiration Trust, we allocate up to 10% of places available within Year 7 entry (15 places) to children who demonstrate an aptitude for visual arts at The Hewett Academy. Children who wish to be considered for an aptitude place will sit a visual arts aptitude test.

September 2025 entry:

The application round is now closed. Applications for 2026 entry will open in early September 2025. Please complete one online application form for each child for a visual arts aptitude place (or you can complete and return a paper application). The application form for a visual arts aptitude place must be completed by Friday 27th September 2024. Only application forms fully received by midnight on Friday 27th September 2024 will be accepted.

The application form will only be used to make the arrangements for the test and will play no part when the applications of those meeting the threshold are processed and places allocated.

Inspiration Trust Visual Arts Aptitude Downloadable Application Form

Inspiration Trust Visual Arts Aptitude Online Application Form

All children who submit a completed form by the deadline will be invited to a visual arts aptitude test on Friday 4th October 2024. The test is designed not to determine the child's current visual art ability, but their aptitude for learning visual art in the future, with a threshold having been set to determine qualification for consideration for a place.

Who can apply for a Visual Art Aptitude Place?

Anyone seeking entry for a child into Year 7 at the academy through the normal admissions process.

Inspiration Trust Visual Arts Aptitude Test:

Where will I need to go to take the test?

The Hewett Academy.

When will the test take place?

On Friday 4th October 2024.

There will be a drawing test, taken with other children, and is approximately 60 minutes in duration. There are no practice papers for the test.

The drawing test will be assessed against the following two criteria:

Technical Skill:

The Hewett Academy Head of Art will consider how effectively the applicant can visually record, from first-hand observation, using the following formal art elements: line; tone; shape; form; pattern, and texture. Compositional understanding and decisions will also be assessed.

Maximum mark: 20 points.

Exploring Materials:

The Hewett Academy Head of Art will consider how creatively and confidently the applicant is able to use and manipulate the limited media available to create something new. Also considered will be the applicant’s ability to incorporate ‘mistakes’ into the overall design.

Maximum mark: 20 points.

The test does not require any previous knowledge of art theory or art history.

The highest mark a child can gain is 40 and the threshold to determine consideration for a place is 29.

What happens after the test?

15 visual art aptitude places will be offered.

If more than 15 children meet the threshold set, then 15 names will be selected using the ‘Tie Break’ criteria outlined in the admissions policy.

Parents and carers will be notified by the academy of the result of the visual arts aptitude test by 18th October 2024. This is in advance of the normal admission round application closing date on 31st October 2024. If the child scores enough marks to be considered for a place, The Hewett Academy must be named as a preference when completing the Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF).