Art & Design
Key Stage 3
In Art, students are encouraged to develop their drawing, painting and making skills. They will be taught new techniques using a variety of materials.
Year 7 primarily focuses on drawing and painting skills. Students will learn about other artists’ styles, techniques and approaches. This knowledge will be used as a stimulus for creating their own imaginative and unique works of art. They will be taught basic watercolour painting techniques by exploring landscapes, water reflections and still life.
Year 8 The focus in this year is the study of Venetian mask history and design. The students will be given the opportunity to develop their research skills along with their making skills incorporating a variety of new materials and techniques. The students are encouraged to approach their work in creative and unique ways working from observation and imagination. They will be given the opportunity to create a mask using various modelling techniques and materials.
Year 9 students are encouraged to strengthen the art skills and processes taught in years 7 and 8. They will be given opportunities to create work based on their personal responses to different stimuli such as artists’ work, exhibitions, on-line competitions and social and cultural influences/traditions. Individual learning and creativity are promoted through first hand experiences, research and experimentation with a variety of materials. Their progress is reviewed and assessed throughout the year in both their portfolio of work and their personal sketchbook. The sketchbooks are used to record classwork and homework tasks. Students will work through a series of skill based lessons within the first half term. This will lead to a range of projects which include portrait work, urban/industrial landscapes, exploring pictures, still life and Art History.
Key Stage 4
Description of Course:
Vibrant and dynamic, this specification will give students the freedom to explore GCSE Art and Design in ways that will inspire and encourage them to reach their full potential, whilst equipping them with the skills to continue the subject with confidence at ‘AS’, ‘A’ Level and beyond. The Fine Art course allows for flexibility in the choice of areas an individual may wish to work in. This allows each student to build on their strengths whilst broadening their skill base. Students will develop their ideas and work in one or more areas of Fine Art, such as those listed below:
Drawing – painting – sculpture – installation – lens/light-based media – photography & the moving image – printmaking – mixed media – land art
They may explore overlapping areas and combinations of areas.
Assessment Details
Internal Assessment:
Each student must select and present a portfolio representative of their course of study. The portfolio must include both: 96 marks & 60% of GCSE.
A sustained project developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief evidencing the journey from initial engagement with an idea(s) to the realisation of intentions.
A selection of further work resulting from activities such as trials and experiments; skills based workshops; mini and/or foundation projects; responses to gallery, museum or site visits; work placements; independent study and evidence of the student’s specific role in any group work undertaken.
External Assessment:
Unlimited preparatory period followed by 10 hours of supervised time: 96 marks & 40% of GCSE. An unlimited period of preparatory time is followed by 10 hours of supervised time during which students will develop their own unaided work. There is no restriction on the scale of work, media or materials used. Preparatory period – from 2nd January.