Art

Intent

Art and Design offers opportunities for students to develop their creativity, imagination and problem solving skills through visual, tactile and formal elements. Students develop techniques through experimenting with a wide range of media in response to the disciplines of Art, whilst developing practical, technical and critical skills, communicating their ideas, feelings and meanings in response to the work of artists and designers.

Implementation

Implementation of the Art and Design curriculum provides contexts that are relevant and take into account the particular interests of learners to enhance their experience of the subject. As each step in the learning journey develops, students incorporate a deeper understanding of prior learning, as well as more choice and freedom. Working with different materials and processes sparks students’ curiosity and motivation, whilst developing their skills. We aim to provide an environment in which students are happy to take risks, ask themselves questions about their creative journey and respond positively to both staff and their peers. Students learn problem solving skills by experimenting, making mistakes, evaluating and making plans for future success. This skill is transferable across all subjects and areas of their life.

Impact

All students are able to be successful by finding a skill, material or topic which highlights their capabilities, regardless of additional needs and ability. They will be able to self-analyse and critically evaluate their own and others’ work. Art promotes curiosity because it requires you to interpret the world around you and present it in a different way. Students develop resilience through controlled risk taking and experimentation and to gain value from engaging in personal creative discovery.

Curriculum

The Art Curriculum has been specifically designed with content to develop and strengthen students’ creativity, visual literacy, problem solving skills, cultural and contextual understanding of the world around them. The content has been selected to underpin these areas and challenge all students at all levels, at all times. Students develop techniques through experimenting with a wide range of media in response to the disciplines of Art, whilst developing practical, technical and critical skills, communicating their ideas, feelings and meanings in response to the work of artists and designers. Art is a key subject in providing character education to support students’ wider development. Students learn to appreciate and value images and artefacts across times and cultures and to understand the contexts in which they were made. We encourage students to research a range of historic and contemporary artists from a variety of fields.

Key Stage 3

Year 7 introduces the formal elements in Art. The development of the formal elements builds understanding through practical application and cultural and contextual connections.

Year 8 embeds the formal elements through experimental techniques and application, and deeper approaches to design development and refinement. Learning points are tailored to enable individual responses and more autonomy with work. Critical and analytical skills are developed through critique and evaluative work in order to strengthen the formal understanding of the Art elements.

Year 9 consolidates the formal elements and extends them through an independently led project. Drawing, experimentation, contextual learning, development and refinement and the realisation of a final piece enable students to extrapolate the knowledge and skills learnt and developed in years 7 and 8.

Completing KS3 in art and design, students are advised on what doing art for GCSE would look like so they can make an informed decision about their chosen options.

Key Stage 4

In Year 10 students will put into practice all the skills that they have acquired through a large coursework portfolio that extends, challenges and enables mastery of the year 9 format in an autonomous way. Students will critique and critically analyse their work in order to independently further the practice with sophistication and refinement.

In Year 11 students will demonstrate mastery through a selected theme in the exam paper and produce an independent study that demonstrates their knowledge and skills.

Key Stage 5

Students explore and experience a broad range of traditional and new media, processes and techniques appropriate to the chosen area of study in the field of art. Responses to this will be shown through practical and critical activities which demonstrate the students’ understanding of different styles, genres and traditions.

This qualification supports the exciting creative pathway to progress to higher education or employment.

On this course, students are required to complete

Component 1 60% Personal investigation. This is a practical investigation supported by written material.

Component 2 40% Externally Set Assignment.

Cultural capital

Students gain an understanding of why art is important and how it enhances their lives. They develop a sense of their place in school and the wider world. Through art, students also investigate and gain an appreciation of different cultures and artist movements and why they are important. Students also gain an understanding of diversity and equality in art. They develop evaluation skills and an understanding of how they can use different stimuli to enhance and shape their work. Students get an opportunity to visit London art galleries to view many outstanding works of art, experiencing and appreciating them in a public setting to appreciate their beauty and significance on humanity over time. Through art, students gain the skills of creativity, curiosity, resourcefulness, resilience, communication, reflection and appreciation.

Literacy

Annotation of artwork is introduced at KS3 becoming increasingly more in depth through KS4 and 5. Visual terms and vocabulary are provided to help students articulate their responses to artists’ work and also to describe techniques of the making process. Students must consider their own responses thoughts and feelings about what they see as positive in their work and ways and ideas of how things can be improved

British values

Democracy

Art and Design frequently requires all students to work in pairs, groups or teams. Students often work collaboratively requiring cooperation and communication linking to the values of trust, compassion and teamwork.

Mutual Respect

This is brought into discussion when looking at the works of other cultures and beliefs. This work is celebrated and respected as meaningful and important.

Rule of Law

Art links with contextual themes involving various cultures and civilizations from around the world. This leads to a greater understanding of different ways of life and a respect for cultures and law that are very different from our own. Discussing how adhering to rules and laws and code of conduct helps to make the community and school safer.

Acceptance of other Beliefs, Faiths and opinions

This is brought into discussion when looking at the works of other cultures and beliefs. This work is celebrated and respected as meaningful and important. Students are introduced to the work of great artists and their individual approaches. Viewpoints are discussed and are encouraged whilst ensuring students are respectful to others.  At the same time, students are reminded of an expectation of respect for all others. Art links with contextual themes involving various cultures and civilizations from around the world.

This leads to a greater understanding of different ways of life and a respect for cultures and law that are very different from our own. Discussing how adhering to rules and laws and code of conduct helps to make the community and school safer. Values such as respect, tolerance of other opinions and positive criticism are embedded in art sessions. Students are encouraged to share opinions and respect others' opinions when self-assessing or peer assessing their work.

Included in the approach to class work, working in groups with equal voices.  The Art curriculum delivers British Values through having a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about the world and participating students actively in artistic and creative activities.

Promote tolerance through different people’s ideas, creative responses and understanding of different cultures and styles within art

Students are encouraged to question and explore issues whilst maintaining tolerance and respect for the views and beliefs of others.

Discussing and working in the style and using the techniques of a wide variety of artists and designers.

Students have the opportunity to work together and independently to team build through tasks, sharing ideas and resources and peer assessment.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

Spiritual

In Art the work of students becomes a spiritual encounter as it develops from the initial learning of skills. They are introduced to the work of great artists and experience wonder and awe at the achievements of these great works of art. They also experience great admiration and respect for their peers’ work when they see the level of achievement and progress. Students understand that this standard of work does not happen immediately but requires endurance, a value encompassed in our departmental ethos.

Moral

The department rules are clear guidelines to which students adhere. They incorporate mutual respect and the consideration for others’ work. Students are encouraged to show compassion when assessing the work of others through activities, understanding how their comments can build up or destroy another’s self-esteem.

Social

Art and Design frequently requires all students to work in pairs, groups or teams. Students often work collaboratively requiring cooperation and communication linking to the values of trust, compassion and service.

Cultural

All units of work link with contextual themes involving various cultures and civilizations from around the world. They lead to a greater understanding of different ways of life and a respect for cultures that are very different from our own; how they can enrich our own lives. The fusion of artwork between our own and other cultures leads to students incorporating designs, patterns and motifs in their own work developed by a deeper understanding of the culture.