Mrs C Wyman-Smith - Art Area Coordinator
Mrs L Kavanagh- Art Curriculum Assistant

Ethos and aims

The aim of the art department is to enable every pupil to enjoy developing their own creativity through the exploration of a range of projects with diverse starting points and outcomes. The Art department is keen for all pupils to become confident creative learners that value the visual Arts as part of their secondary education. All pupils are provided with the opportunity to follow a challenging, supportive and personalised learning programme that builds their understanding and appreciation of Art, Craft and Design in both traditional and contemporary contexts. All pupils are given the opportunity to develop their own ideas though experimentation with a wide range media, techniques and processes informed by their investigations into the work of relevant Artists, Crafts People and Designers.

Key Stage 3

Pupils follow a well-structured Curriculum that focuses on building their skills of observational drawing, painting, print making, mixed media and three-dimensional materials. In Years 7 and 8 pupils learn how to work both in a sketchbook and on a larger scale, including group work and animation projects. Pupils explore a wide variety of themes including landscape and environment, perspective, portraiture, abstraction, colour, texture, pattern and surface.  Students will study elements of Art history and investigate various artists.  In Year 7 students also undertake a Cross Curricular project that brings together Art, Music, Dance and Drama in a celebration of the Arts through an exploration of different cultures on the Cross Arts Days.

In Year 9 pupils undertake a ‘foundation course’ that encourages them to bridge the gap between KS3 and KS4. During this year pupils explore the formal elements, investigate artists, undertake varied workshops and learn about the significance of Artists within the development of their own work. During Year 9 pupils are also taught the necessary analytical skills necessary to develop strong contextual reference within their work and how this informs their decision-making processes. They are also taught the importance of visual communication, annotation skills and presentation skills. There is also an emphasis on development experimentation and observational drawing skills that form the foundation of successful projects when they progress onto GCSE in Year 10.

Key Stage 4

The Art, Craft and Design Curriculum at KS4 provides pupils with the opportunity to really extend their creative potential, selecting either GCSE Art, Craft and Design or ‘three dimensional design’. All pupils opting for GCSE Art  follow ‘the art foundation course’ in Year 9; which provides a rich learning environment that encourages in depth experimentation, self-discovery and ensures all pupils are fully prepared for the challenges of GCSE. In Years 10 and 11 GCSE portfolio themes include Natural Forms, Still Life and Cubism, Cultural investigation through visits to the museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge. The portfolio projects include painting, drawing, print making, clay construction and sculpture mixed media work.