September 1st 2024Art and Design
What our students think about Art and Design
Intent
To develop skills and critical thinking within art. Our aim is to broaden the students conceptions of how art is created, to move away from traditional expectations of art, opening their opportunities to explore and develop through the different media and thematic response.
VIDEO: Is Art just pencil and paint?
VIDEO: Learn more about the Art and Design at MHS
Learning hours
| Year group | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning hours per week | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
The national curriculum for Art and Design aims to ensure all pupils:
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Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
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Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other Art, Craft and Design techniques.
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Evaluate and analyse creative works of Art.
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Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, understanding the cultural and historical developments of their art forms.
In KS3 the focus is the fundamental elements that encompass the aesthetics of Art throughout history. These building blocks are commonly referred to as the “formal elements” and include Line, Tone, Pattern, Colour, Texture, Shape and Form. The understanding of these elements as a starting point will support future learning and develop greater insights into artist analysis and evaluation with regards to own practice.
At KS4 we start with a strong emphasis on drawing as a starting point to create confidence within our students before exploring and instilling the four assessments objectives through a range of practical techniques and outcomes. We focus on developing concepts and ideas based on a project theme(s), as this is the format for their externally set assignment and final exam, as a result and due to the nature of the subject there is always scope for varied interpretation and a range of creative outcomes being produced. The aim is for students to understand the process of developing ideas from a starting point to a final outcome; gaining knowledge on how to develop these ideas through refinement, reflection, technique process and inspiring artists.
The GCSE coursework unit (Component 1 is worth 60%) is divided into two separate projects to create two independently resolved components. Students will have the opportunity to become more independent in their choice of artistic influences throughout the course of the project that will be guided upon their own independent research. Students resolve their ideas making connections across their investigation to produce meaningful and imaginative outcomes. We make sure to build upon their strong foundation skills developed at KS3 yet embark on a more in-depth approach to produce sustained, developed and refined outcomes. Their second project will be more diverse in project theme options to prepare them in advance for their externally set assignment by AQA. At this stage we will introduce them to idea of visual mind mapping from which students take a more personal and independent direction in their work. Both projects will conclude with a large-scale final piece in media of their choice.
Why study art?
Learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying while at school as well as preparing students for life after school. Through the study of art students are able to:
- actively engage in the creative process of art, craft and design in order to develop as effective and independent learners, and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds
- develop creative, imaginative and intuitive capabilities when exploring and making images, artefacts and products
- become confident in taking risks and learn from experience when exploring and experimenting with ideas, processes, media, materials and techniques
- develop critical understanding through investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills
- develop and refine ideas and proposals, personal outcomes or solutions with increasing independence
- acquire and develop technical skills through working with a broad range of media, materials, techniques, processes and technologies with purpose and intent
- develop knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design in historical and contemporary contexts, societies and cultures
- develop an awareness of the different roles and individual work practices evident in the production of art, craft and design in the creative and cultural industries
- develop an awareness of the purposes, intentions and functions of art, craft and design in a variety of contexts and as appropriate to students’ own work
- demonstrate safe working practices in art, craft and design.
5 year learning journey
Specification
Careers
Learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying while at school as well as preparing students for life after school.
- Arts subjects encourage self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity.
- Creativity can also help with wellbeing and improving health and happiness – many students in the TALE study commented that arts lessons acted as an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life.
- Studying arts subjects also help to develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us.
Assessment
Assessment in Key Stage 3 is carried out using a reduced format of the GCSE marking criteria and students are afforded the opportunity to enhance their outcomes with regular individual actionable feedback.
Assessment in Key Stage 4 is carried out using the GCSE marking criteria and students are afforded the opportunity to enhance their outcomes with regular individual actionable feedback in the form on individual action plans with 3 key points to complete every lesson.
Our GCSE exam in Art and Design include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:
- bring together the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired during their course of study
- select and present work produced during their studies to demonstrate attainment, reflecting a holistic approach to coverage of the assessment objectives
- make connections between knowledge, understanding and skills when engaging with sources such as the work of artists, craftspeople and designers and when applying working methods and processes appropriate to one or more of:
- a starting point, stimulus or issue-based concern
- a design brief or problem requiring a solution
- a task which specifies an outcome such as an image, artefact or product.
There is synoptic assessment in both components of the GCSE that provides rigour and presents opportunities for students as follows:
In Component 1 (portfolio) students develop responses to initial starting points, project briefs or specified tasks and realise intentions informed by research, the development and refinement of ideas and meaningful engagement with selected sources. Responses will include evidence of drawing for different purposes and needs and written annotation.
In Component 2 (externally set assignment) students respond to a starting point provided by AQA. This response provides evidence of the student’s ability to work independently within specified time constraints, realise intentions that are personal and meaningful and explicitly address the requirements of all four assessment objectives.
Feedback
Feedback in key stage 3 is given specifically to a skill or topic that the students have been working on, they are then given the opportunity to enact their feedback to make improvements.
Feedback at key stage 4 is in the form of Individual Action Plans (IAPs) where students are given independent feedback to enhance their portfolios.
Learning beyond the classroom
Extracurricular clubs
Manga club in the library at lunchtime.
Trips and visits
We aim to provide students with additional enrichment activities, such as gallery visits, externally led workshops and residential trips across KS3 and KS4. These will be dependant on exhibitions on offer and the development needs of the students.
