Art

At KS3 all students will have 1 session a week of Art.By the end of KS3 all pupils who leave the course (whether continuing into further study at KS4 or not) will have a level of visual literacy to support them in understanding and engaging with the ever increasing visual communication of society. Students are taught early-on how to synthesise information and create personal and original outcomes, this is designed to support the whole school curriculum and encourage independent enquiry. Students will end KS3 with key skills in drawing, painting, design methodology, visual communication, creative and critical thinking and oracy. With these foundation skills, students could become lifelong learners and continue to develop at their own pace.

In terms 1 & 2 students will have a baseline assessment to ascertain prior knowledge and understanding from KS1 and 2. The drawing assessment will lead into a unit of work that teaches students observational drawing skills including checking proportions and applying directional shading to make objects appear 3-dimensional. 

In terms 3 & 4 students will explore the theme of ‘under the sea’, studying the work of Yellena James and other contemporary artists who are raising awareness of ocean conservation. Students will be taught how to use a wide range of media and processes from collage and painting to colour pencil drawing. They will also explore pattern and learn about the colour wheel and colour theory.

In terms 5 & 6 students will study the work of British artist Mark Hearld and explore a variety of techniques for recording line and mark making. We will use British wildlife as our starting point to work in pen, pencil, paint, stencilling and print-making.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Mark Herald Project
Term 4
Under the Sea

In terms 1 & 2 students will build upon their learning of the colour wheel and practise some key painting skills before completing a painting project on citadels. They will be studying 3 key artists, from Paul Klee and Mary Blair to the contemporary graphic designer, Matt Lyon. Students will be learning about colour, composition and designing.

In terms 3 & 4 students will be exploring the artwork of Vincent Van Gogh and will be creating their own artwork inspired by the mark-making and painting techniques he used. They will begin using oil pastels and then create wire sculptures inspired by their own drawings.

In terms 5 & 6 students will be learning about textile and wallpaper design, creating their own repetitive series of prints, inspired by the historical designer and entomologist, E.A.Seguy. The project will start with the students learning how to plan a drawing, building upon key skills they learnt in year 7. They will then use the tonal drawings to create their own design for a print. Students will learn how the techniques can be applied to wallpaper, wrapping paper or textile design, so that students can begin to understand how the processes are applied in creative careers.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Repetitive Prints
Term 4
Repetitive Prints

In term 1 students will start with a drawing assessment that builds upon their previous learning of planning and shading a study. The drawing will form part of a research page on one of the artists in the ‘identity’ project, which explores how objects, surroundings, clothing and jewellery symbolises a person’s self. Students will be encouraged to bring in a photograph of their chosen role model or themselves in order to develop the project in term 2. 

In term 2 & 3 students will be creating an artwork for the ‘identity’ project, by collaging paintings and drawings created in class and for homework. Students will also learn about the role of typography in art and how artists convey positive and powerful messages about identity using text.

In terms 4 & 5 students will be exploring architecture, focusing on the different styles of buildings found in Brighton. They will learn about the historical significance of the Royal Pavilion whilst creating a two-tone drawing and a mixed media collage inspired by contemporary artists Anastasia Savanova and Emmie Van Biervliet. 

In term 4 students will also complete a drawing assessment as well as a GCSE-style series of art lessons that allows them to explore a wider range of media and processes whilst introducing them to the KS4 art books.

In term 6 students will develop their architecture project before moving into their GCSE groups near the end of term 6, which will allow them to use the art work to begin the KS4 architecture project, studying Gothic architecture. 

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Architecture
Term 4
Architecture

Further to the learning opportunities that Art, Craft, Design and Photography provide, this department’s core values are to provide a calm, enriching and safe environment, where students understand that they are here to learn, participate and engage. All students should feel safe to take risks creatively, both verbally and practically without fear of ridicule or judgement.

At KS4 students have 3x 50 minute lessons per week. We follow the AQA syllabus  in GCSE Art and Design
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse/art-and-design-8201-8206/subject-content/art,-craft-and-design

Unit 1 = Portfolio is worth 60% of the final grade and is made up of the work covered in year 10 and 11

Unit 2 = Externally Set Task is worth 40% of their final grade and is set in January with the ten-hour exam sat in April.

In terms 1 & 2 students will be developing the architecture project that was started in term 6 of year 9, studying some key architectural movements whilst building a portfolio of drawings and mixed media studies. They will also be studying some key contemporary artists, who are inspired by ancient architecture, like Ian Murphy. The students will learn how to present their artwork effectively to build a successful portfolio, whilst developing their skills in art and literacy.

In terms 3 & 4 students will be developing studies in colour, before moving onto natural forms and learning how the natural world has inspired architecture styles and interior designers. The students will have the opportunity to create a series of photographs that will inform the development of a section of the project on mosaics, inspired by the architectural designs of the Catalan architect and designer, Antoni Gaudi.

In term 5 & 6 students will be designing their final piece for the project and will complete a 5 hour mock exam, which will allow them to develop the final outcome in a controlled environment, as practice for the final 10 hour exam in year 11.

Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Terms 3-4

In terms 1 & 2 students will complete a shorter coursework project. The final outcome is completed in the 5 hour mock exam in December. The students are expected to submit all coursework in the first week of January, when they are to commence their exam preparation period.

In the first week of January, students are given the exam papers and are to select one question from the choice of 7. The students then have approximately 12 weeks of preparation time to complete a portfolio which covers the assessment objectives. The students then complete a 10 hour controlled exam, with 5 hours completed off timetable on one day and then a further 6 lessons to make up the final 5 hours of the exam. 

At Key stage 3 students will be set one to two tasks per unit of work. These are planned in advance and support the learning taking place in class. Tasks are expected to take 30 minutes. The maximum time to complete and gather information will be four weeks. The tasks are intended to be completed with minimal art equipment needed at home. Students are provided with resources for the homework, which can also be found on the Google Classroom. The homeworks are fully explained in class with examples shown and students are given a week to complete a section of the homework.

At Key Stage 4 students will have an average of 1-2 hours of homework per week. Homework is a crucial part of the course and the work the students complete extends the work done in class. Students will need to ensure that they have some basic art materials at home to be able to complete homeworks:  scissors, glue, colouring pencils and a set of acrylic paints and some paint brushes are advised. However, students are able to borrow equipment when needed. The art rooms are open most days after school and staff run intervention sessions from 3-4pm to support students who need some advice or need to use the art facilities in order to complete homeworks.