Fine Arts College
Fine Arts College is an independent college in Hampstead, London, founded in 1978 with an average intake of 200 students aged 13 – 19. The College offers over 25 A-level subjects in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and 15 subjects at GCSE. Students entering Year 9 follow a broad academic curriculum alongside creative subjects, art, music and drama. Fine Arts also runs a one year Portfolio course to prepare students for degree courses at university and art school, both in the UK and internationally. Students following this course are free to experiment across the four arts  courses offered. The Principal is Candida Cave MA, CFA Oxon, the Head is Emmy Schwieters, and the Deputy Heads are Craig Winchcombe (Academic) and Becky Hayes (Pastoral) History. 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. Educational Philosophy. 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. Buildings. 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.