Creative & Performing Arts
Art
It is the intention of the art department to encourage every child to develop self-expression and creativity, helping build the child's confidence and supporting them to find a sense of individual identity. Expanding their creativity will grow critical thinking skills that are essential when interpreting and thriving within an increasingly complex world.
At key stage 3 we work through the foundations of art. Each unit has a knowledge organiser designed by subject specialists to ensure precision of subject specific vocabulary and contextual knowledge for pupils and parents alike.
Drawing is the central element that runs through all project work. Risk taking, independence, experimentation, happy accidents', should be actively encouraged to allow each child to make their own journey of discovery; constantly building upon their previous knowledge and skills. It is important to remember that the centre of doing art is in one's self.
The journey continues through into Key stage 4 GCSE Art where visual skills are honed and a portfolio of work is completed encompassing a wide range of activities and in-depth assignments. GCSE artists should have a passion for the subject and a desire to know more about historical and contemporary art along with how to use art materials and processes to develop and express ideas. This course will develop skills to enjoy, engage with and produce visual arts throughout life. Numerous visits are made to galleries and museums to explore what is happening in the world of art helping support and nurture individual ideas.
For those that wish to study Art and Design beyond GCSE, there is the opportunity to complete Level 3 courses including A level Art and Design or BTEC Nationals in Art and Design. Art develops multiple transferable skills, such as problem solving, communication and critical thinking, which prepares pupils for further study or the world of work, regardless of the subjects or careers pursued.
Please click one of the above to find out more.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7 & 8)
Key Stage 3 (Years 7 & 8)
The Year 7 and 8 programme of study follows the Key Stage 3 Art & Design National Curriculum.
We aim to give pupils the key skills, knowledge in researching, recording, reviewing, refining and responding to their own, and other's artwork, to enable them to become creative and confident artists. Through the various projects, students will develop an understanding of the work of different cultures, artists, craft makers and designers. All year 7 and 8 students will receive 2 lessons a week for one and a half terms. (18 weeks - they will then rotate with Drama for the other half of the year)
TEAMS is regularly used as a means to communicate with students individually and in a class format. TEAMS is used as the main tool for recording homework. All homework is documented on TEAMS as an assignment, to help back up the work explained in the lesson. It is an extremely useful aid to pupil's learning and pupils are actively encouraged to share images of the work, showing the progress they make or ask for help.
Students will follow a programme of study, see below.
Key Stage 3 (Year 9)
Key Stage 3 (Year 9)
We aim to give pupils the key skills, knowledge in researching, recording, reviewing, refining and responding to their own, and other's artwork, to enable them to become creative and confident artists. Through the various projects, students will develop an understanding of the work of different cultures, artists, craft makers and designers. All students in year 9 will have one lesson of Art at Key stage 3 lasting 50 minutes. In the March/ April of year 9, students will make choices over their GCSE options.
TEAMS is regularly used as a means to communicate with students individually and in a class format. TEAMS is used as the main tool for recording homework. All homework is documented on TEAMS as an assignment, to help back up the work explained in the lesson. It is an extremely useful aid to pupil's learning and pupils are actively encouraged to share images of the work, showing the progress they make or ask for help.
Students will follow a programme of study, see below.
Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11)
Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11)
Art is an option subject at Key Stage 4, which students may choose to study at GCSE level, commencing in year 10. Over the two-year course, pupils will complete two units of work - this is known as a Personal Portfolio (see below) this accounts for 60% of the final GCSE grade. Students are allocated three lessons each week (2 hours and 40mins) and are expected to spend at least another 2 hours of their own time per week completing work or developing other ideas. In the January of year 11, students will start their ESA - Externally Set Assignment - this accounts for 40% of the GCSE grade.
Pupils are expected to use the knowledge, skills and understanding they have learnt in key stage 3 to show their progression along the creative journey. This journey will be presented creatively in sketchbooks and students are expected to produce a completed outcome/s for each unit; each one taking about 25 hours to complete. We will endeavour to go on visits to art galleries for every unit of work to help inspire and support the artist analysis and personal investigations (A01). Students need to be willing to take on board new ideas/concepts to grasp new ways of independent learning; with more of an emphasis on Conceptual Art to explore bigger ideas in Art.
TEAMS is regularly used as a means to communicate with students individually and in a class format. TEAMS is used as the main tool for recording homework. All homework is documented on TEAMS as an assignment, to help back up the work explained in the lesson. It is an extremely useful aid to pupil's learning and pupils are actively encouraged to share images of the work, showing the progress they make or ask for help.
Starting from year 10 students will need to show evidence of the four Assessment Objectives in all two units of work.
The four assessment objectives are:
- AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.
- AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
- AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
- AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.
Useful Resources
Useful Resources
- Pearson Exam Specifications
- Microsoft Teams Sign-In Page | Teams Login
- BBC Bitesize - Course advice and tips from the BBC.
- Google Arts - A great website for researching different artists - includes some great videos on how to develop your projects.
- The Student Art Guide - Ccontains ideas, help and guidance from students and teachers around the world on your GCSE.
- Julia Stubbs - 100s of examples of pages from student sketchbooks and artwork at GCSE.
- Pinterest - A visual discovery tool that you can use to collect ideas for the different projects and themes (great for finding artists and other examples of GCSE artwork).
- Art2Day - A site dedicated to supporting students through their Art and Design GCSE. A great place to start if you are looking for artists to investigate.
- TimeOut - Best Art Sites - A list of top art sites on the internet.
Programme of Study - Key Stage 3 (Years 7 & 8)
Year 7 Art Curriculum
Project 1 (9 double lessons)
Cubsim
Curriculum intent: Explore mark making/drawing. Gain some understanding of the art history timeline and how the art work has been influenced by the past-present-future; looking particularly at Cubism's rejection of one point perspective and the continuing influence this has had since the beginning of the 20th Century. Understand/use/manipulate the visual and formal elements.
Project overview: A drawing and 3D project looking primarily at Cubism; produce a mixed media Picasso style self-portrait and a mask/3d clay relief sculpture.
Project 2 (9 double lessons)
Colour and Abstraction
Curriculum intent: Students will develop knowledge of the colour wheel, the use of primary and secondary colours and the importance of composition. This is a foundation skill for painting and will help them in their future painting. Further, develop mark making/drawing skills using a range of media. Understand/use/manipulate the visual and formal elements; focusing particularly on composition/form in selecting and creating images. Gain some understanding of the art history timeline and question/reflect on the representation of women and ethnic minorities. Focus on the work of the female artist Georgia O'Keeffe.
Project overview: A drawing project; looking primarily at natural forms, producing a Georgia O'Keeffe inspired watercolour painting possible extending into chalk pastels.
Year 8 Art Curriculum
Project 1 (9 double lessons)
Surrealism
Curriculum intent: Focus on the Surrealism Art Movement as a way of exploring the idea that Art can be used as a way of playing with ideas and taking risks. Further development of colour/ painting skills using skin tone.
Project overview: Metamorphosis and Surrealism hand project. Exploring transforming one object into another to produce a Surrealist painting.
Project 2 (9 double lessons)
Colour and Abstraction
Curriculum intent: Focus on current 'popular' culture. Look at how artists make and break rules in art.
Project overview: Pop Art project inspired by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Pauline Boty, Roy Litchenstein and Robert Rauschenburg. Exploring and experimenting with creating 'combine' works of art using drawing, collage, objects and painting.
Year 9 Art Curriculum
Autumn Term (14 single lessons)
Collections
Curriculum intent: Students will begin the first term exploring the idea of 'collections' and will be introduced to a number of artists that have created work based around the theme of 'collections'.
Project overview: It is a gentle introduction to the possibilities of GCSE Art, with small tailored projects to allow them to study various media including; ready-made sculptures using found/collected materials, collage, mark making, and photography. They will investigate the work of a range of artists whose work fits under the umbrella of 'Collections' these include; Arman, Lisa Milroy, Martin Parr, Janice Wu and Gary Hume; using their different approaches to inspire their own work.
Spring Term (12 single lessons)
Portrait Drawing
Curriculum intent: What is portraiture?
Project overview: A formal introduction into how to draw a self-portrait through observation. Pupils will taught systematically how to record the features using the correct proportions to create a sustained drawing.
GCSE Options
Why study art?
A minimum of two lessons in the spring term will be dedicated to talking about taking GCSE Art. Opportunities will be given to look at past GCSE art, discuss and ask questions about the course content and expectations; also, an opportunity to look at further education courses and the possible careers within the arts. If time allows a past or current year 11 student/s will talk about their work with year 9 students.
Each pupil will be asked to fill in a pupil survey before their Option Evening meeting.
Summer Term (12 single lessons)
Symbolism
Curriculum intent: Look at the work of Olaf Hajek.
Project overview: Think like a GCSE student. Artists Analysis - What is it? What is its purpose? How can it improve our own practise? Pupils will study the work of Olaf Hajek, they will then research, collect, photograph, create ideas, draw and finally present their ideas in the form of a 'moodboard'. These are then taken through into a final response.
Year 10 & 11 Art Curriculum
PERSONAL PORTFOLIO consists of two units of work
UNIT 1 - IDENTITY - Identity through portraiture
Year 10 - Terms 1 & 2 (until Easter)
We will explore the theme of identity through portraiture by visiting the National Portrait Gallery as our starting point. We will question what the purpose is of portraiture? Explore the possibilities of what portraiture has to offer in representing images of one's self or others. We will look, study and analyse the work of a range of artists including Frida Kahlo, Marlene Dumas and Sindy Sherman and in turn will create a personal response to the theme 'identity'. All four assessment objectives need to be covered.
UNIT 2 - THEME 'Fragments'/Mixed Media Outcome
Year 10 - Term 3 / Year 11 - Term 1
In preparation for their ESA (Externally Set Assignment) pupils will have an opportunity to practise a thematic based approach. It allows students to interpret and explore ideas using the theme 'Fragments'. Pupils will need to show a journey of how the theme 'Fragments' influences their ideas and choice of artists; including Cornelia Parker and Martin Parr. The teacher gives some guidance and direction, but the onus is on a personal development of ideas. You will explore and research a range of mixed media artists and techniques, visiting Tate Modern at the beginning of year 11. Again, all four assessment objectives need to be covered. A 10 hour mock outcome will be produced in term 1 of year 11 and will continued to be worked on throughout the rest of the term.
Externally Set Assignment (ESA)
Year 11 - January-April
After the Christmas holiday's students will be given the GCSE exam paper from Edexcel. Opportunities will be given to explore the exam theme and to begin the preparation work. For example, January 2020 the theme was 'EVENT'. Pupils will need to respond to the theme by researching artists, ideas, drawings, exploring different media/ techniques (all of the four Assessment Objectives) until students come to a decision on what they are going to produce for their 10 hour exam (split over two days). The final 10-hour exam will take place either at the end of the Spring Term or the early part of the Summer Term (after the Easter holiday). All work completed for the exam will count towards 40% of the final GCSE mark.