In Art we are committed to developing pupil’s individual creativity and visual confidence with a broad and varied range of materials and processes. Sketchbooks are used to document learning, evidence drawing, painting, critical understanding and planning for final outcomes to Projects. Sketchbooks are regularly assessed with comments to enable review and refinement to take place. To celebrate progress, we exhibit pupil and student work in the local community and at school, along with regular entry into local and National Art competitions.
| Art Projects in this Key Stage are focussed on specific materials with a clear outcome that develop research skills. There are three main Projects each year and these develop confidence with drawing, painting and clay. These skills are developed throughout this key stage and in year 9 there is more independent decision making which prepares pupils for GCSE Art. Pupils study artist’s work to gain critical understanding and use drawing to help communicate and understand the visual world. They then plan the final outcome for their Project before they make it. Research is evidenced in their own sketchbook which becomes a document of individual progress. Teacher comments and regular assessments provide essential feedback which enables review and refinement to take place. There is more detail about the specific Art Projects listed below: | ||
| Year 7
· ‘Crazy Creature’ Clay Project · ‘Underwater’ painting and printing Project · ‘Close-up’ drawing and mixed media Project |
Year 8
· ‘Fauvism’ drawing and mixed media project · Clay ‘Character’ Project · ‘Hockney’ Landscape Project, drawing & painting |
Year 9
· ‘This is Me’ drawing and painting Project · ‘Hundertwasser’ Clay Pot Project · ‘Environment Sketchbook’ Project, drawing and painting |
| For GCSE Art the students build upon the independence that they began to exercise in Y9 and create two Coursework Projects from September in Y10 to December in Y11. The first project exercises a variety of drawing, painting and photographic skills including acrylic and oil painting based on the theme of ‘Disguise’. The second Project begins with a choice of seven starting points and the students create artwork based on their chosen theme. They learn how to create evidence for the four Assessment Objectives and develop own skills and confidence with a variety of drawing, painting, photographic and clay modelling experiences. As the project evolves they begin to make more decisions to support their own creative taste and interest. They are regularly supported with assessment and comments in their sketchbook, which enables accurate reviewing and refinement to take place. These two Projects comprise 60% of the Final Grade and the students will know what mark is going to be sent to the Exam Board, which ensures that they are fully informed of progress achieved.
From January in Y11 they begin the ‘GCSE Support Project’, which begins with a research trip to the Leeds and Wakefield Art Galleries. This Project has the same four Assessment Objectives that the students used for the previous Coursework Project and they are expected to manage the process with more independence. This project supports the previous coursework project. The students will get regular feedback to support their progress and ensure that they are meeting their own independent targets. In line with Ofqual requirements, the students will also know the scores that they have achieved at the end of the project. |
Exam Board: AQA Art & Design (Fine Art)
For further details please visit: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse
| A level Art:
This is a two year course which is designed to develop the general skills accrued at GCSE level to the advanced stage. Y12 is an exploratory year for the students to exercise skills to a higher level and to take risks to enable greater confidence and understanding to occur. The students create two projects from September to February and from February to May. The first project is ‘Freechoice’ from a list of possible starting points and evidence is produced for the four Assessment Objectives as required at GCSE level. The second project is a Mock Exam Project. The work produced is regularly assessed and feedback is given to enable the students to review and refine their progress, but the scores are not submitted to the exam board. Independent learning is nurtured and supported to help prepare students for life after school. Cultural Capital is also highlighted at key moments during the course and shared with the students. In June the students begin the A level course with a series of drawing and painting workshops which develop confidence with observational skills. We launch the Personal Investigation Project with a research trip to London. This includes drawing from live art in several major Art Galleries in London, which is concluded with a large-scale artwork, exhibited in the Chesterfield Schools Art Exhibition in October. These experiences form a key part of Cultural Capital. The students then create their own project responding to experiences in the summer by providing evidence for the four Assessment Objectives. Feedback is consistent and regular to enable effective reviewing and refining to take place to ensure that students are performing to their potential level for UCAS applications. Written understanding is evidenced with the ‘Journal’ that documents the learning and understanding that has taken place during the process of the project. This project is worth 60% of the final award and the students know what scores have been achieved. At the beginning of February the ‘A level External Assignment Project’ begins with the same format as before. The students create evidence for the four assessment objectives till early May when marks are submitted to the exam board. This project supports the previous Personal Investigation project. The students will get regular and consistent feedback to support their progress and ensure that they are meeting their own independent targets. In line with Ofqual requirements, the students will also know the scores that they have achieved at the end of the project. Exam Board: AQA Art & Design (Fine Art) For further details please visit: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/as-and-a-level/art-and-design A level Photography: This is a two year course and there is room for ten students as we have a purpose built Photography room with Photoshop for digital editing and exhibition space for large A2 photographs. We have up to six DSLR cameras that form the key equipment for the course, along with lighting and props for photoshoot experiences. Y12 is the introductory year to the course and we start with exercises that enable the students to use functions on the cameras with understanding and confidence. The photography works alongside the digital editing and students use Photoshop frequently to develop their understanding of industry based photographic processes. There are many aspects of Cultural Capital that are shared with the students at this point. Experimentation, learning through practice and not being afraid to make mistakes are a key part of the course at this stage. Students evidence their weekly tasks digitally in their own OneDrive folders and learn how to present evidence to showcase their learning for assessment and feedback. The first project from February is a Mock Exam Project which follows the same assessment criteria as AQA Fine Art and also follows the same time frame as the actual Exam in Y13. The work produced is regularly assessed and feedback is given to enable the students to review and refine their progress, but the scores are not submitted to the exam board. Independent learning is nurtured and supported to help prepare students for life after school. Cultural Capital is also highlighted at key moments during the course and shared with the students. In June the students begin the A level course with the Personal Investigation Project which is initiated with a research trip to London. This includes studying Photography in several major Art Galleries in London, which is concluded with a large-scale Photograph, exhibited in the Chesterfield Schools Art Exhibition in October. These experiences form a key part of Cultural Capital. The students then create their own project responding to experiences in the summer by providing evidence for the four Assessment Objectives. Feedback is consistent and regular to enable effective reviewing and refining to take place to ensure that students are performing to their potential level for UCAS applications. Written understanding is evidenced with the ‘Journal’ that documents the learning and understanding that has taken place during the process of the project. This project is worth 60% of the final award and the students know what scores have been achieved. At the beginning of February the ‘A level External Assignment Project’ begins with the same format as before. The students create evidence for the four assessment objectives till early May when marks are submitted to the exam board. This project supports the previous Personal Investigation project. The students will get regular and consistent feedback to support their progress and ensure that they are meeting their own independent targets. In line with Ofqual requirements, the students will also know the scores that they have achieved at the end of the project. Exam Board: AQA Art & Design (Photography) For further details please visit: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/as-and-a-level/art-and-design
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For further information about the Art curriculum please contact:
Craig Longmuir
Head of Art Department
St Marys Catholic High School Academy Trust is an exempt charity and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales with Company Number 8107212 and has a registered office at Newbold Road, Upper Newbold, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 8AG.
