Art
Welcome to our Art Section
Within these pages you will find lots of information about the subject and how the department operates.
If you have any queries regarding Art please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Clare Bentley
Head of Art
Key Stage 3
Year 7
The big focus in Year 7 is observational drawing. We really want students to understand how to analyse objects and to draw what they can see, not what they think is there! Shading plays a large part in this vision and we spend time looking at some of the technical aspects such as directional light and reflective light. The whole idea is for students to have ‘can do’ attitudes towards drawing so that they don’t become frustrated when recording objects from life or from photographs. Once they make improvements in their drawing, they have a healthy ‘springboard’ from which to progress into colour mixing as well as exploring collage and mixed media. In addition, students are taught how to research artists effectively and this encourages them to use literacy to make observations using Art specific vocabulary.
Year 8
Year 9
Literacy
Key Stage 4
At GCSE level, we follow the AQA Fine Art Specification:
Fine art practice is defined as the need to explore an idea, convey an experience or respond to a theme or issue of personal significance. The course consists of two components as follow:
Areas of study
In Component 1 and Component 2 students are required to work in one or more area(s) of fine art, such as those listed below:
- Drawing
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Installation
- Lens-/light-based media
- Photography and the moving image
- Printmaking
- Mixed media
- Land art
They may explore overlapping areas and combinations of areas.
More details may be found from the AQA website.
Year 10
In Year 10, students begin Component 1 of the GCSE course. All work completed goes towards the final exam grade (9-1).
The GCSE Fine Art Course encourages students to develop:
- Creative and imaginative powers and the practical skills for communicating and expressing ideas, feelings and meanings in art, craft and design.
- Investigative, analytical, experimental and interpretive capabilities, aesthetic understanding and critical skills.
- Understanding codes and conventions of art, craft and design and awareness of contexts in which they operate.
- Knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design in contemporary societies and in other times and cultures.
Year 11
Year 11 continues student’s personal investigations from their work in 10.
They are been encouraged to respond to the four assessment objectives that make up the success criteria. These include drawing from observation, collecting and gathering appropriate visual information, researching and relating work to a chosen Artists or culture and exploring a variety of different media.
They have also investigated developing a personal response to their theme by drawing from their personal investigations.
Component 2 comprises an externally set task.
Key Stage 5
Course Outline
We follow the AQA Fine Art specification which consists of two components of work.
In Component 1, students develop work based on an idea, issue, concept or theme leading to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes. Practical elements should make connections with some aspect of contemporary or past practice of artist(s), designer(s), photographers or craftspeople and include written work of no less than 1000 and no more than 3000 words which supports the practical work.
In Component 2, students respond to a stimulus, provided by AQA, to produce work which provides evidence of their ability to work independently within specified time constraints, developing a personal and meaningful response which addresses all the assessment objectives and leads to a finished outcome or a series of outcomes.
This is a practical unit with written elements in which candidates are expected to develop a personal Investigation based on an idea, issue, concept or theme leading to a finished piece or pieces.
The practical elements should be linked with some aspect of contemporary or past practice of artists, designers or craftspeople.
Unit 4 is an externally set assignment:
The questions set will consist of a choice of eight questions to be used as starting points. Candidates are required to select one.
Preparatory work should be submitted in any appropriate form with sources identified and acknowledged.
There will be a 15 hour supervised period in which candidates must complete, unaided, their response to their chosen examination question
Course requirements:
Grade C or above in Art and Design plus two other GCSE passes at grade C or above. A genuine interest in the subject is essential!
