At St Paul’s we value creativity and visual literacy, viewing these as essential skills for students to hold, nurture and grow on both academic and extracurricular platforms

Creativity and visual literacy are an important part of learning at St Paul’s.

Students are encouraged to explore ideas, develop technical skills, and build confidence through a range of creative disciplines and practical experiences.

Visual Arts programmes support both students developing foundational skills and those pursuing advanced academic and creative pathways.

Subjects available include:

  • General Art (Years 9-10)
  • Art Design (Years 11-13)
  • Painting (Years 11-13)
  • Photography (Years 11-13)
  • Printmaking (Years 11-13)
  • Art History (Year 13)

Year 9
All Year 9 students study Visual Arts, developing skills in:

  • printmaking
  • design principles
  • composition
  • colour
  • visual research

Students also explore traditional Maaori art forms, motifs, and contemporary artist practice.

Year 10
Students may continue Visual Arts through a half-year programme exploring themes such as:

  • identity
  • storytelling
  • drawing
  • painting
  • clay and mixed media

Year 11
Students may choose:

  • Visual Art (Painting and Printmaking)
  • Digital Visual Art (Photography and Design)

Courses encourage students to explore and communicate ideas through visual storytelling.

Years 12 and 13
Senior students specialise in disciplines including:

  • Art Design
  • Photography
  • Painting
  • Printmaking

View examples of Scholarship Examination portfolios by St Paul’s art students here and an example of a Scholarship Examination workbook here.

Top Art

The Top Art is an annual tour featuring a selection of NCEA Level 3 portfolios that achieved Excellence.

Jetta Kete’s dedication to documentary photography has earned her a place in Top Art, a touring exhibition of top NCEA Level 3 Visual Arts folios. Her commitment to this challenging practice also saw her win the 2024 Bell Photography Award.