Art and Design
Art and Design
Department Aims
Our Art Department aims to provide a broad and exciting curriculum for both KS3 and KS4 students. We aim to give students a secure understanding and the basic skills needed using a broad range of processes and techniques including, drawing, painting, mixed media, textiles and some digital art. The work students will produce will be in both 2D and 3D.
Course content KS3
Students will have one hour lesson per week that will cover the following disciplines and topics.
Year 7
Baseline assessments
Insects – will include:
- Tone
- Proportion
- Scale
- Artist references/studies (contextual research)
- Collage
Illustration (cross curricular literacy unit) – will include:
- Drawing techniques/styles
- Artist reference to Quentin Blake
- Watercolour
- Drawing ink
African Masks
- History of African masks and examples of tribal masks
- Use of oil pastels
- Artist reference to Kimmy Cantrell
- Cardboard construction and collage 3D work
Year 8
Bizarre Buildings– will include:
- Understanding and creating compositions
- Artist reference to Hundertwasser
- Use of different materials (inks, oil pastel, felt tips, pencil crayon)
- Design development
- Mixed media
Observation drawing – will include:
- Pencil work
- Artist reference to Ken Orton
- Tone, scale, proportion, depth
Sweets & Treats
- Photorealist style
- Artist reference to Sarah Graham
- Basic Photography
- Understanding composition
- Painting
Year 9
Birds with Issues– will include:
- Discussion of contemporary and relevant key issues
- Independent research
- Use of different materials (inks, oil pastel, felt tips, pencil crayon, water colour)
- Design development
- Artist links to various sculptors
- Mixed media
- 3D sculpture
Observation drawing – will include:
- Pencil work
- Artist reference
- Tone, scale, proportion, depth
Portraiture
- Explore various styles of portraits
- Various artist references (student choice)
- Pencil
- Mixed media
- Drawing
How we stretch and challenge our students
All students are encouraged to challenge themselves, by trying new techniques and taking risks with new processes and materials. Students are always given exemplar examples to aim for or try to exceed the standard of, and success criteria to work towards. Students are given tasks to improve their independent learning skills. Students are given individual feedback to stretch and improve their work further.
How we support our students
Students are always given clear instructions and success criteria to work to. Advice is given verbally to students throughout lessons and they are encouraged to ask questions, including how they can improve their work further. Students are also given lots of individual advice and feedback, they can also come at lunchtimes for extra support. Students are able to ask questions via the school email system if they are ever unsure. Pupils at KS4 use Showbie and this allows students to ask questions quickly at any time and receive individual responses.
How we deliver Literacy and Numeracy
KS3
For every topic students do there are clear literacy links to keywords to increase their artistic vocabulary. Year 7 students do a cross curricular topic within this they respond to descriptive writing to design their own characters. All students research various artists and write about the artist’s life, works and influences. Students are also encouraged to write their own opinions in response to work and giving reasons. All written worked is checked for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Students work with scale to support numeracy, use of rulers and ratios of paint when colour mixing.
KS4
Students annotate the work of artists, designers, crafts people and photographers work throughout their sketchbooks using appropriate language.
Exams
KS3 – no formal exams, but controlled observational drawing assessments take place every year.
KS4 – AQA Exam board students will sit a 10hr exam over 2 days. No formal written element. Assessed 60% coursework 40% exam
Staff List
Mrs S Shipton – Subject Leader
Mr C Farrington – One lesson of Year 7
Mrs N Jones – One lesson of Year 7
Extra-curricular Activities
The Art room is open Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunchtimes for pupils to do any extra work and also after school on various nights throughout the academic year.
How parents can support their children
- Encourage children to draw in their spare time, it doesn’t matter what they are drawing, the more practice they do the better.
- Encourage children to research artists that link to their work, and ask them to describe the style of work using artistic vocabulary.
- Encourage children to try new ideas and experiment with different materials, our first idea isn’t always our best.
