Art & Design Department

We encourage all students to enjoy art, whether they are natural artists or not. We provide a wide range of 2D and 3D media, which we hope will allow each student to discover the one in which they can successfully demonstrate their artistic creativity.

The Art and Design Department is staffed by a team of specialists who work in a range of disciplines.

• Mrs Tomlinson (Head of Art & Design)
• Mrs Stevens (Head of Textiles)
• Mrs Hendry
• Miss Williamson

To develop student’s skills at Key stage 3, we plan a series of varied and stimulating projects to interest all. These include; investigation of past works of western art, and those from other cultures, interpreting the world around them and their own experiences in different media, and using their imagination to produce original works of art.

The work produced by individuals, or groups of students, is on display around school and decorates the two art rooms. This provides a lively and stimulating environment.

Whenever possible we provide enhancement activities such as;

• Visits
• Artists in residence
• Involvement in competitions and community projects, which give gifted and talented pupils a wider forum to demonstrate their ability

At Key Stage 4 students can opt to take either:

• GCSE; Art and Design, Unendorsed
• GCSE; Art and Design, Textiles

The former allows them to work in any media they choose, the latter as the name suggests has a somewhat tighter remit.

Both these courses have proved popular because, despite the sustained effort and time input demanded by a course work assessed qualification, students are aware of 160 career opportunities, linked to, art and textiles design. Students of all abilities can and have achieved their highest grade on these courses.

In recent years A*- C grades have been achieved by over 60% of our students. This success provided them with the entry qualifications onto further education courses, art based or otherwise.

Department Aims:

To ensure that all pupils will be afforded equal access to the best quality National Curriculum Art provision at Key Stages 3 &4.

That pupils from all working groups develop:

• The ability to perceive, understand and express concepts and feelings in visual and tactile form
• The ability to record from direct observation and personal experience
• The ability to form, compose and communicate, in two and three dimensions, using materials in a systematic and disciplined manner
• Understanding, manipulative skills, and technical competence in all aspects of art, which will enable individuals to realise their own creative intentions

Curriculum aims:

To ensure that all pupils will be afforded the opportunity to reach their highest standard of achievement in art & design capability and gain appropriate certification by:

• Providing a rigorous KS3 foundation course
• Developing pupil’s understanding of assessment and the setting of personal targets
• Providing enhanced Art experiences by linking with, colleges and industry, galleries and artists and designers to provide pupils with the opportunity to develop greater art & design awareness.
• Providing a range of differentiated printed resources, for individual access, group work, and whole class activities.
• Provide a range of media and equipment (including ICT), to allow pupils the chance to succeed in displaying their artistic ability.

Pastoral aims:

• To create a secure, caring, disciplined learning environment, that is, pleasant, lively and stimulating
• To inform parents of their child’s progress

Community aims:

To take all opportunities to promote the school to;

• Feeder primaries
• FE colleges
• Community groups
• Parents
• FOEP
• Governors
• Business and industry, through various Art experiences