Art + Design

The importance of Art and Design

Art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding and responding to the world and the people in it. The pupils will use colour, form, texture, pattern, design and different materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think. Through art and design activities, they will learn to make informed value judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions. An integral area of the Art and Design curriculum will be exploring ideas and meanings in the work of artists, craftspeople and designers. Also, as part of their experiences, pupils shall learn about the diverse roles and functions of art, craft and design in contemporary life, and in different times and cultures.

Pupil’s Learning Experiences

Art is a subject whereby pupils can very much operate at their own level and activities will be differentiated accordingly, so that all pupils can reach their full potential. No pupil should ever be allowed to say that he/she cannot draw or be put in a situation in which he/she feels threatened. They should feel comfortable and will be encouraged to concentrate on developing the skills they have acquired until their confidence is increased to the extent that they feel more able to tackle more adventurous and challenging forms of art.
The activities undertaken will incorporate situations that stimulate curiosity, generate enthusiasm for knowledge, encourage children to think and plan, and give them experience of sharing and co-operation. Pupils with learning difficulties need to have access to an art curriculum as creative talents are not necessarily aligned to academic ability. Many of our pupils display a depth of understanding and talent in addressing the world around them in an artistic approach and with encouragement are capable of achieving a good standard of work. This sense of achievement increases their self- confidence, which may hopefully overlap into other areas of their school life.

The National Curriculum for Art expects pupils to cover a balanced programme of activities that involve investigating and making and allow for knowledge and understanding to be communicated. Within the Key Stage 3 curriculum, students will be working in two and three dimensions and will be encouraged to work as individuals and as part of a group to promote co-operation and a sharing of ideas. They will be following a thematic approach that, where possible, will be cross-curricular, so that pupils gain a deeper understanding of the period/culture/region being studied.

Pupils will be given opportunities, where appropriate, to develop and apply their information communication technology (ICT) skills in their study of art, craft and design, particularly with regards to researching artists and art movements and using specific art design programs.

The Art department is fully committed to help raise the standards of literacy in the school and although, the teaching of Art is primarily practical, the literacy needs of the pupils need to be borne in mind. As part of their studies, pupils will be encouraged to engage in oral and written activities to support their learning, especially with regards to critical studies of art works and evaluating their own and other’s work.
Where appropriate, connections with numeracy will be made and referred to. This may be in the form of vocabulary associated with numeracy e.g. smaller, longer, straight, curved, pattern, or in relation to mathematical equipment i.e. the use of rulers, compasses and shapes. Certain themes will lend themselves to the study of shape in particular. During Year 7 pupils will study the abstract designs of Mondrian and will need to use a ruler and understand the terms square and rectangle. Angles, line and shape will be referred to when looking at the construction of buildings in Year 8. Pattern will be covered in Year 9 when looking at the designs created by the Native Americans.

External Certification at Key Stage 4

All pupils on entering Year 10 will have the opportunity to pursue an externally assessed course. Depending on their ability, they will follow either a GCSE or Entry Level syllabus, both of which will involve coursework and a controlled test. Pupils at Key Stage 4 will be expected to work from the foundations built up in the earlier years and be prepared to research, develop and extend ideas of their own to achieve the nationally accredited courses that they are involved in.