Art at Carleton High School engages, inspires and challenges students. Equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. Homework is handed out weekly at Key Stage 4, and project based for a term at Key Stage 3. Students are expected to spend at least two hours on a sustained piece of drawing/painting work at Key Stage 4. As the course progresses, homework increases and annotations and presentation also form part of the independent homework expectations. Drawing is an integral part of the course; students must enjoy drawing.

For BTEC Art, there is a choice of up to seven project titles set by the exam board. Students must choose one as their exam theme. Students will have a preparatory period of nine weeks in which to develop a sketchbook, leading to a ten hour supervised drawing/painting exam. Students must be prepared to work outside of school hours and at weekends in the run-up to the exam. Visits to galleries and museums are arranged on a regular basis for the benefit of students. Experience of other people's work allows students to explore the historical, social and technical aspects of all art and design, forming a basis for the work in sketchbooks and eventually their own final piece, which are an integral part of the whole course.

Year 7 and Year 8 students will work through a wide range of different short projects based on cultural themes, art movements and look at contemporary artists' work and how art impacts our daily lives.