Gallery offers art history A-levels

ART history, the university degree favoured by royals including Prince William and Princess Eugenie, has long had an elitist image.

Now, the Courtauld Institute of Art is attempting to improve its accessibility by becoming the first gallery to offer free A-level courses to state school pupils.

The London gallery is working with the charity Art History Link-up to offer places to 80 sixth form students from September.

Prof Alixe Bovey, dean of the Courtauld, said she hoped the programme would address a “damaged pipeline” of state school pupils going on to study art history at university. She said: “A vanishingly small number of state schools offer art history as a subject. The pressure on schools is so incredible and it looks like it’s going to get worse.

“It’s important that we think about how we can scale up and extend access to this remarkable subject.”

Organisers aim for the majority of students to be from a “widening participation” background, which can mean that they are eligible for free school meals, have a severe disability, are in care, or have a parent or guardian who hasn’t participated in further education.

Applicants are considered on a case-by-case basis, and have to answer a short questionnaire on why they want to take the course and are interested in art history.