Art
Head of Department: Ms A Ramwell
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, in Art & Design, students explore visual, tactile and other sensory experiences to communicate ideas and meanings. Having being designed around the new National Curriculum framework, students follow a ‘foundation’ course, which introduces them to the variety of artist styles and media, developing new skills and techniques.
Through our Scheme of Work we aim to:
- Develop confidence in core skills such as drawing and colour mixing
- Foster an inquisitive nature and an innovative mentality
- Cultivate an appreciation of visual images and artifacts across times and cultures
- Develop skills how to describe and interpret the contexts in which artworks were made
- Develop analytical skills so students can reflect critically on their own and other people’s work, judging quality, value and meaning
- Encourage self-confidence, competence, imagination and creativity for individual and group work
- Learn to think and act as artists, craftspeople and designers, working creatively and intelligently.
- Understand and appreciate the subject and its role in the creative and cultural industries that enrich their lives.
Year 7 Overview
Theme 1 - Self Image
- 2D Painting Outcome
- Observational drawing to understand space, form, shapes, textures, tones, line and composition using self portraits as a starting point.
- Work developed in a variety of media using drawing from observation as the core activity. Learning how to look and record using the basic elements to make a recognisable, personal piece of work.
- Focusing on the properties of drawing with different tools (such as charcoal, pencil and paint) & in different styles. Looking at expressive mark making in the style of chosen artists to further technical skills in a range of media and stimuli.
Theme 2 - Natural Forms
- 3D Clay Outcome
- Analysis of artists inspired by the natural world, ideas developed through a series of drawings of objects where the viewpoint changes or rotates.
- Considering form, texture, mark making, pattern and decoration observing several different types of natural forms to help inspire ideas at a later stage. Decoration of clay vessel using surface embellished patterning and burnishing. Outcome completed using distressing, burnishing & bronzing techniques.
Theme 3
- Personal Extension Piece with a choice of Outcomes
- Personal development/extension of work from units so far to hone skills and encourage further experimentation and risk taking.
- Considering mixed media, montage, collagraph and mono printing.
- Exploring a range of layering techniques in the style of chosen artists to extend technical skills and encourage more independent choices in preparation for Year 8.
Year 8 Overview
Theme 1 - Doodle Art
- Graphic Multi Media Outcome/ Photoshop extension Work
- To encourage letting imagination run wild and a real sense of fun!
- Exploring ideas to communicate feelings, experiences that relate to graphics/visual advertising.
- Researching contemporary illustrative styles and their relationship with graffiti art.
- Experimental drawing, inventing characterisation from continuous line work exploring ideas by analyzing contemporary graphics artist and their computer work.
- Designing for pleasure or to communicate a message or story.
- Experimentation with ICT graphics software & a wide range of ‘urban’ tools and materials to learn a range of drawing techniques (e.g. collage, stencil & animation).
- Considering using different kinds of drawing for different purposes and creating humour in the work!
Theme 2
- Mexican Day of the Dead
- 3D Mixed Media Outcome
- Researching a range of Mexican artifacts, rituals and traditions
- Comparing them with contemporary art, costumes and films
- Observational Observing and recording from a range of cultural items and responding with own design ideas and symbols.
- Exploring & refining designs to create own characters displayed on alters in situ.
Theme 3
- Personal Extension Painting Piece with a choice of Outcomes
- Personal development/extension of work from units so far to hone skills and encourage further experimentation and risk taking.
- Considering mixed media and paint.
- Observing and recording perspective.
- Analysing and researching Op Art, pattern and optical illusion.
- Exploring a range of drawing and painting techniques to extend technical drawing abilities and encourage more independent choices in preparation for GCSE.
Key Stage 4
Students who choose Art and Design at this key stage follow the EDEXCEL GCSE Art and Design Course. This is divided into two units
- Unit 1: Portfolio of Work which accounts for 60% of the final grade
- Unit 2: Externally Set Task, which accounts for 40% of the final grade
The candidate's portfolio must include more than one extended collection of work or project selected from artwork undertaken during the course of study and meet all four Assessment Objectives.
The course covers a diverse range of disciplines within the arts and students are encouraged to utilise their past skills from Textiles and Photography sessions too.
Two broad ‘Units of Work’ are covered:
Distortion- Cubism is studied as a starting point and then personal development informs a range of outcomes that include a painting and printing formats.
Inside Out- Students work in response to a series of stimuli and start by extending their printing and mixed media skills, before producing a personal piece; this is good preparation for the exam scenario.
External Examination- A variety of stimuli are provided to encourage students’ response to a range of titles set by the exam board for their practical exam. These are used as starting points and are developed so that the final outcome in produced during a series of examination sessions.
Students exhibit their work at the end of their course in the Art Block Summer Exhibition.
Students are given the opportunity to work alongside a range of artists in workshops. These help to foster critical, contextual and cultural awareness & support the development of their work. There are also opportunities to visit local galleries, including a visit to the Eden Project.
Key Stage 5
Examining body: EDEXCEL
Students can opt to take either the one year AS course or the two year A Level course. Following on from GCSE, this subject develops advanced visual research skills. There is a blend of theory and practice based around the theme of ‘A sense of place”..
- AS Unit 1: A portfolio of coursework (60%)
- AS Unit 2: Controlled test over 10 hours in May of A3 (40%)
- A2 Unit 1: One coursework project and a related study [Historical Critical Study] (60%)
- A2 Unit 2: Controlled test over 15 hours in May of A2 (40%)
A level students visit London and explore galleries and other venues providing an opportunity to explore a broad range of cultural stimuli.