The Art Department and staff are dedicated to the development of each pupil’s creative and inventive mind. The carefully developed sequence of projects advances each pupil from a strong foundation to focus on conceptual and expressive inventiveness.
Curriculum Overview
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Key Stage 3
From Year 7, pupils benefit from exploring and understanding artists, designers and craftspeople. This knowledge is developed and utilised throughout Key Stage 3 by creating a wide range of outcomes using a range of materials.
Key Stage 4
The purpose of the GCSE option in Art and Design is to improve the creative and technical skills of its students. Students have the opportunity to increase their skills in independent thinking and ideas development, through drawing, painting, printmaking and ceramics. An integral part of the course is researching the work of artists and developing a personal project.
The department currently offers one subject option at GCSE level – Fine Art – in which pupils will develop their creative, technical and research skills within two assignments. These will be assessed individually and the most successful of these two assignments will be presented as a portfolio for examination at the end of the course. This final assessment will make up 60% of the final examination mark. The pupil portfolio will be assessed according to the following criteria:
Developing ideas
Develop ideas through investigating relevant sources, demonstrating analysis and cultural understanding.
Refining ideas
Refine ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes.
Recording ideas
Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions in visual and/or other forms.
Presenting a final response
Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding, realizing intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.
The remaining 40% of the marks are allocated to the examination module, which is similar in construction to a controlled assignment, except that the realised final piece is carried out under examination conditions.
During the course, pupils will visit at least 3 galleries and work with a practising artist in school. Students are encouraged to gather primary evidence and to connect their outcomes to all of the research carried out.
Exam Board
OCR
Extra-curricular activities
The Art department operates an open door policy to pupils during lunchtimes and before school. Key Stage 3 students have an Art Club once a week to complete work or to experiment with materials of their choice. Key Stage 4 pupils are encouraged to use the department whenever they can but they do have exclusive use of the rooms on Thursdays before and after school.
