Art

Department Aims

As a committed and experienced art department, we aim to develop pupil’s creativity and artistic style as well as developing their ability in a wide range of artistic skills. With 3 dedicated art classrooms and a wide range of facilities including our own kiln for ceramic work and a bank of computers for digital exploration we aim to give pupils a broad education in the many different art forms it is possible to develop.

Key Stage 3

Year 7 –

In year 7 pupils begin with a baseline assessment to gauge their ability in the three core skills or drawing, painting and sculpture. From there we move onto a project based on colour theory and graffiti with pupils developing their understanding of colour, colour mixing and application onto a piece of clay work. The rest of year 7 is dedicated to art around the world and building pupils understanding of traditional art forms from a wide range or countries and cultures. Pupils will make a range of different outcomes including drawings, paintings and sculptural work.

Year 8 –

In year 8 pupils will consolidate skills learned in year 7 and look to build on these through 3 projects. The first is a sculptural project related to food where pupils develop their working with clay and focus on form and texture to add realism. The second is based on portraiture and focuses on drawing a painting skills, key skills within this are the use of proportion, shading and colour blending.

Year 9 –

In year 9 we begin to work on GCSE skill building looking to develop quality and refinement across a wide range of tasks based around natural forms. Pupils will look at detailed drawing skills and the development of using a pencil to capture not just form and shape but to build depth and texture from observation. Pupils will create a number of ceramic outcomes looking at observing in 3D. This style of working gives pupils the insight into both the GCSE course and the wide range of possible styles of working they could develop in KS4.

Alongside this throughout Key Stage 3 pupils work on tasks to develop their knowledge of art history, famous artists and significant art movements up to the present day to support their wider understanding and contextual knowledge.

Key Stage 4

Art is an optional subject at GCSE and we work to the AQA exam specification. Pupils are in groups usually of no more than 20 and will have 2 lessons per week in year 10 and 2.5 lessons per week in year 11. In the GCSE course pupils will be taught a number of more advanced skills including painting with acrylics and printing skills, they will also build on the skills from KS3 and develop a number of these to a more advanced level before they decide which skill they wish to develop and refine as they work towards their portfolio tasks and externally set exam final piece. The KS4 program of study includes a trip to Walsall new Art Gallery and several projects with pupils being offered a choice of starting points and their own choice of the medium they would like to work in for some of these.

The GCSE grade is assessed on 60% portfolio work and 40% externally set task.

Pupils will work on portfolio work from the first lesson in year 10 and all work throughout year 10 and 11 will contribute towards their final grade.

For further details, please contact Mrs R McGillicuddy, Head of Art, or consult www.aqa.org.uk