Key Stage 3
Pupils are taught on a weekly basis for 1.5 hours by Specialist Teaching staff with a time-tabled slot in the Kahlo Studio.
The curriculum planning is linked to the Quest for that half term and follows the 5-year overview for Quest planning through the school. The Art and Design Lead will ensure that a range of skills and processes are built on as students move through the school so that sufficient coverage is achieved during the 3 years in Key Stage 3. Art skills will be taught each half term with a focus on different artists and art styles and Design and Technology Skills taught in the alternate half term.
Pupils are taught in class groups and are of varying ability. Each stage of development is initiated by the teacher but use of individual ideas, independent research and personal techniques are encouraged through use of a sketchbook which they will continue to work on throughout the key stage. Individual Student Assessment Records (ISARS) are used each lesson by students to work towards different skills and to celebrate successes, these are differentiated depending on whether pupils are in Life skills classes and their year group/ability.
Key Stage 4
Pupils undertaking the Art, Craft and Design GCSE qualification are taught on a weekly basis for 3 hours. They are encouraged to take responsibility for the grade they hope to achieve by putting in the required amount of work and are marked against the AQA assessment areas with final marks checked by an external moderator. 60% of their final mark is taken from portfolio work completed in the first 4 terms from the start of Year 10. 40% of their marks are from preparatory work and a final piece completed in the last 2 terms in Year 11 with their final exam taking place during May for 10 hours.
Pupils are following the AQA Examining board Art, Craft and Design GCSE Full course 8201. They are given a range of themes/ topics to help facilitate individual interests and allowing freedom to explore a range of medium and approaches. Drawing skills are an integral part of the course and pupils will then extend their ideas in one or more media, which may include: printing, painting, sculpture (clay, Modroc, wood etc.) embroidery, photography, textiles, linking to the work of their choice.
Pupils will be expected to show detailed analyses of artists and crafts people’s work and use annotations to explain and enrich their opinions and thought processes. After discussions, pupils are encouraged to use their own particular interests and experiences to explore their chosen topic whilst still linking this with the theme. Research is undertaken thorough and a variety of sources and pupils should show clearly the development of their work and evidence of their progress including use of annotations.
Artists and their methods will be introduced to the group via books, the internet and gallery visits, including local galleries such as the Focal Point Gallery in Southend and London visits to the Tate Modern.
Further information regarding the Art, Craft and Design GCSE may be found here:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse/art-and-design-8201/specification
- A copy of the Art and Design Subject Policy can be found here.