A starter activity the promotes looking harder. This gives some extra understanding to how painters hide things, or make them less obvious and challenges them to question why which is great for AO1 and AO4, making informed responses and commenting on the work of artists in ways which help them develop ideas and understanding. It works for most age ranges as it really relies on them looking and making connections with what they can see. Great for small group work and useful for building skills in responding to works of art through comparing and contrasting approaches.

A PowerPoint run through of a mid grade sketchbook which throws up good opportunity for students to spot what could be improved, and help them identify what they may be doing wrong. The starter activity focusses them on identifying what the differences are between approaches from students and proper artists and gives opportunity to challenge why there may be differences. A really useful lesson to focus and redirect students and hits AFL nicely with self and peer assessment.

A starter to engage the students on entry, looking for clues as to what the connection might be with a difficult fourth image which doesn't quite fit. These starters really make the students look and think and give good opportunities to look across cultures for why artists might choose the subject matter. Suitable for any age group - KS2 KS3 KS4 and KS5, and good for some background knowledge on art history AO1

A fun starter to spot how the images are linked. Gets your class interested in looking with a set of images they have to link, with the fun bit being they have to work out what the link might be - throws up some interesting ideas for them.

A fun starter - spot the connections, work out the link to find the difference - ideal for use as students arrive to get them engaged.

A starter to engage students on entry - looking for clues for connections they can make between the images and learn a bit about Art History along the way. These starters always go down well even with the reluctant participant because they can look and suggest possible answers, and students can get new ideas on approaches for their own projects.

This lesson has a starter for students to make connections and leads into an analysis task exploring how an artist's work develops, looking for style and technique changes as well as ideas and concepts. Its a nice variation on art history research approaches and focuses the students more on what they are looking at in the work of an artist over their life. The starter is fun and always engages as students like guessing at what the connection may be. Ideal as a back up lesson, an intervention lesson or as evidence of informed personal response for GCSE and A Level work

A starter for any lesson - an excuse to get students exploring possible connections between the paintings. The important thing is not that they get the answer but they ask questions and make suggestions - gets them thinking!

A starter to engage students in thinking about design, hygiene, and different cultures and conditions around the world. Particularly useful if your students are not particularly well travelled as it provides them with basic ideas of how different life can be

A starter to engage discussion and thinking - the criteria for "best" can be left for the students to decide on and justify through the reasoning - can be design, versatility, price etc

A starter of 9 images of artists at work and an open question for students to discuss as to which one best typifies how an artist works. Good for students to consider ways of working and how we perceive artists at work.

A starter to get students thinking about design, practicality, comfort, so the students can weigh these up as to deciding what constitutes best.

A fun starter to engage boys in particular in discussion - the points in discussion can be directed towards design, comfort, clean etc to prompt the refinement of the definition of "best"

Advisory notice - this looks at a taboo subject and you'll need a class you feel secure with doing this with. This looks at works of art exploring a taboo subject of urination and includes works by Rembrandt, Brueghel as well as Piss Christ by Andres Serrano and images of women by photographer Sophy Rickett in office dress weeing in the street. It throws up some interesting questions for students to consider though about decency and human behaviour, reference Fundamental British Values, as well as it as a why artists choose it as a subject throughout the history of art

A fun starter to set students on arrival - getting them to look at layouts of city plans and make guesses as to location and culture of the place.

100 + photographs of a misty morning. Ideal as a source for painting for a landscape project - enough images for your class to choose their individual image.

A sheet of handy reminders for students writing about Art and Design

A fun starter to engage and get students in a good mood - 10 cities in the fog for students to identify. Can use this as a starter for any subject, and it has a link with Geography obviously.

A starter activity to get them guessing looking for possible connections. This one is based on names and slide 2 has the explanations of origins. This activity has no other questions - it is really about students asking the questions with the odd clue from the teacher thrown in when they get stuck. Gets them thinking about fashion beyond the look of it.

A starter activity to engage students on arrival. This is a nice one to explore the perception of alcohol and raise awareness of issues, and can prompt some useful discussions with students.