Art is offered throughout the independent sector, usually up to A-level. Standards are often outstanding, with steady numbers going on to major art colleges. However, schools have relatively few art scholarships and no schools specialise in art in the way they do in music.

Broadly speaking, schools approach art in three different ways: teach it to the obviously talented only and exclude the rest from the studio; provide it as a recreational activity to all interested pupils; or try to provide a mix of the two.  Most schools present GCSE and A-level examination work in an annual exhibition; if your child has artistic flair and the exhibition is open to the public, it can be worth a visit.