“Art should be something that liberates your soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further.” – Keith Haring
Studying art develops creativity and allows students to express ideas and thoughts. To be successful in any area you need to be able to think creatively. You learn new skills and knowledge of different materials and artists. Art teaches you determination and resilience through embracing failures and having the courage to start again.
Key information:
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, students are offered a broad and diverse selection of projects which are carefully planned to ensure that there is a continuous upwards transference of skills that link with GCSE and A-Level objectives.
Year 7
Year 7 is a foundation year where drawing provides the basis of all art forms. Students are introduced to the formal elements of art through painting and drawing. The value of art historical influences is introduced around the work of Kandinsky and Francis Bacon.
Year 8
In Year 8, the focus is on learning and developing skills in drawing, painting and collage whilst increasing their knowledge of artists by responding to the work of Georgia Fiennes, MC Escher, the Expressionists and Michael Craig Martin.
Year 9
Year 9 is an important year as it provides the platform to study GCSE. The practice of drawing from observation continues with students learning drawing strategies necessary for more successful work. They are also introduced to using media in a more experimental and creative way.
Key Stage 4 (GCSE)
This course requires you to be organised, enthusiastic, experimental and dedicated. You will be expected to research in depth through primary and secondary images, experiment with materials, investigate through a variety of techniques and materials, develop ideas and styles as well as evaluate artist work and their own. Final grades will be based on final piece and preparatory work conducted. Independent study will comprise of artist research and development as well as finishing work conduced in class.
The coursework is comprised of 2 projects and is worth 60% of your final mark.
The exam is worth 40% of your final mark and will be set by the exam board. This project will be similar to how you work in the coursework however you will only have a term to prepare and then produce your final piece in a timed exam which is 10 hours, over 2 days.
Key Stage 5 (A Level)
Students build on the skills that they learnt at GCSE, working independently on Coursework that has been informed by contextual studies. Work is developed from personal starting points with supporting studies that consist of annotation, research and contextual references, practical exploration of materials and techniques, recordings from primary and secondary sources and developmental stages of practical work leading to refined practical outcomes. The is also a personal study involving an element of research of at least 1000 words, the subject of this must link and be informed by the practical work.
Curriculum Plan
