Art Department

Curriculum

Key Stage 3

Art and Design offers opportunities for pupils to:

• develop their creativity and imagination through visual, tactile and sensory experiences
• develop practical, technical and critical skills and use visual and tactile language to communicate their ideas, feelings and meanings
• learn to make value judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions, becoming actively involved in shaping environments
• explore ideas and meanings in the work of artists, craftspeople and designers and learn about the diverse roles and functions of art, craft and design in the contemporary world and in different times and cultures

In Key Stage 3, the art and design curriculum is designed to acquaint pupils with the breadth of techniques and skills necessary to build a solid foundation for GCSE.  In Year 7, pupils are taught how to handle different media with an emphasis on colour and form.  In Years 8 and 9, these skills are reinforced through themed 2-D and 3-D projects.  References to artists are made at all times.

Facilities

The department currently occupies a large, well-equipped art room and has a library of art books within the school’s Learning resource Centre.

In 2009, the final building phase of the campus will be complete and the department will move into a suite of three large fully-equipped art rooms, with a kiln for ceramic work.

Enrichment

• Art Club, open to all pupils who are keen to develop their art and crafts skills
• An advanced art skills group for gifted and talented pupils