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Art and Design

Art and Design

Art is a fascinating  and complex discipline, which naturally lends itself to cross curriculum collaborations. A solid start in Art and Design provides a person with creative problem solving skills and resilience. We value Art and Design as an important part of the student’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides students with opportunities to develop and extend skills, as well as express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas.

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality Art and Design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of Art and Design. They should also know how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Pupils are taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.

Pupils are taught:

  1.  To create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
  2.  To improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay)
  3.  About great artists, architects and designers in history.

Art and Design Curriculum Video

Learning Journey 2024

  • KS3 Curriculum & Assessment:

    The key stage 3 art and design curriculum and assessment engages, inspires, and challenges students. It trains students in the necessary skills and techniques to be able to produce creative work, explore ideas, think creatively and critically, and become inventive. The curriculum begins by ensuring all students have the correct grounding in artistic techniques. Once this is established, the thematic projects can be taught.

    The aims and objectives is to have a rich curriculum which enables learners to explore a wide range of art generous. The sequencing of projects enables students to learn art fundamentals.  This leads into exploring the dexterity of different materials by working with a wide range of materials, processes and techniques. This includes graphics, drawing and painting, textiles, 3D construction. The curriculum content is broad, balanced, and ambitious, ensuring pupils can sequentially develop artwork from initial ideas into an outcome. The diversity of the curriculum promotes depth and understanding across the art world and connects students to the real world. This curriculum provides a broad and varied selection of artists and cultures. We encourage our learners to explore both traditional and contemporary artists and movements which inspire their own art practise.

    At the beginning of Year 7 students are formally introduced to the formal elements of art. This includes  practical skills and theoretical knowledge and understanding. Once these fundamentals have been established, more progressively challenging units can be covered. Mastering these throughout the following years, ending KS3 as having prolific knowledge, skills and concepts of the artists.

    These include art and design life skills:

    • Creative thinking: being imaginative, original and open to new ideas,
    • Research: collating, analysing and using materials,
    • Visual skills: observation, attention to detail and spatial awareness,
    • Problem solving: taking risks to solve problems in creative ways,
    • Communication: communicating ideas through drawing, painting, sculpting, writing and presentation,
    • Teamwork: collaborating with others on projects,
    • Independence: self-motivated, self-expressive and coming up with own ideas.
    • Evaluation: reflecting on work, learning from feedback and thinking about how to improve,
    • Organisation: sequencing a project and meeting deadlines.
  • KS4 Curriculum and Assessment:

    Students can select GCSE art, craft and design or GCSE photography and graphics courses in KS4. The courses starts with workshops which allows students to master a range of artistic fields. As the course progress students are encouraged to make more independent and ambitious decisions about their outcomes, encouraging them to experiment with materials and techniques to develop their own ideas. In KS4 students use the Journey to success stage to create a holistic projects which are personal and meaningful. Students can specialise in one or more artistic fields.

    Pupil engagement is built through the creative process: the intrinsic need to want and enjoy creating. Where themes include examples that are topical, complex, and thought provoking. Through carefully selected engaging projects, our teachers reveal the intrinsic value in learning about the world around us through art.

    The curriculum ensures students acquire new skills, knowledge and understanding beyond their everyday experiences, allowing them to make sense of the world around them. The curriculum is skills and knowledge-rich, promoting deep thinking.

    There is an emphasis on supporting studies: 75% of the marks for each project come from research, recording observations, developing ideas, analysing the work of other artists and showing evidence of experimenting with materials. The remaining 25% of the marks are awarded for the final outcomes. Learning extends outside of the classroom as part of the course with visits to museums and galleries.. The exam board is EDEXCEL.

    Exam board

    EDEXCEL

    Assessment

    Students are assessed on four assessment objectives, these are the sequential development of ideas, the refinement of artwork, the recording of ideas and the presentation of a final piece.

     

    The assessment objectives are as follows:

    AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.

    AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting, and experimenting with appropriate media, materials.

    AO3: Record ideas, observations, and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.

    AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

     

    The formal element of art is an integral part of the course. The GCSE courses are assessed within six level descriptors, these are: limited, basic, emerging competent, competent and consistent, confident and assured and exceptional.

    Additional information

    The course is comprised of two components. Component 1: personal portfolio which is 60% of the qualification and Component 2: Externally set assignment which is 40% of the qualification.

    The components allow students the opportunities to develop and explore ideas, research primary and contextual sources, experiment with media, materials, techniques and processes, as well as, presenting personal responses to the externally set theme.

    The course does require written analysis and evaluation. There is an emphasis on supporting studies: 75% of the marks for each project comes from research, recording observations, developing ideas, analysing the work of other artists and showing evidence of experimenting with materials. The remaining 25% of the marks are awarded for the final outcomes.

    Key tips / resources for revision

    The course follows a sequential process to support students’ development of initial ideas towards a final outcome. This includes a mind map, mood board, photography, artist analysis and mimics, own work in the style of, statement of intent, composition ideas, detailed compositions and designs, practise techniques and media experiments, create artwork as well as a final outcome.

    Exemplar materials can be found on the Pearson Edexcel website:

     

    or

     
  • Progression to College, University and careers

    Studying art at college and university demands critical thinking, resourcefulness, and independent research, all of which are excellent preparation for a wide range of occupations. Art can lead to many inspiring and exciting university courses and careers. Art offers a wide range of career choices such as fine artist, fashion designer, animator, illustrator, photographer, graphic designer, web designer, as well as museum curating, advertising, and television production. The leading people in any field are those who can think creatively and innovatively. These are skills that employers value and they are cultivated through the arts.

    Art students learn how to think creatively and independently, exercising their problem-solving abilities and fine-tune skills such as hand-eye coordination, attention to detail, problem solving and communication.

    Links to Education with Character events:

    Coleridge Art Exhibition

    Visit to Warner Brothers Studio London 2024

    Art Bytes 2024 Year 9 Entries

    Art Bytes 2023 Virtual Gallery with Coleridge Community College Year 9 Reginal Winner and National Runner Up

    Kettles Yard Gallery Rewards Ceremony: Art Bytes 2024

Extra-Curricular Opportunities

You will have the opportunity to experience a number of local and national trips and a foreign trip is offered (subject to availability) during the summer term of Year 10.

Future Careers

Gallery curator, art therapist, teacher, illustrator, auctioneer, conservator, fundraising, fashion, media, film, theatre

LEARNING