Curriculum Vision
Our aim and focus are to inspire, engage and challenge students in a rich and creative curriculum, relevant to current times.
Our department intent is to give students the skills, concepts and knowledge necessary for them to express their responses to ideas and experiences in a visual and written form.
Our choice of schemes of work aims to be a strong mixture of observation and imagination, this being the fundamental means of personal expression. We cater for opportunities of reflection, and with increasing sensitivity as the students’ progress throughout the year groups and key stages, students should acquire the ability to make informed and personal responses of their own work and that of others.
The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives, the creative industry generating huge numbers with both the value added to the economy and amount of people employed within the field. This is why learning art provides valuable educational, social and cultural experiences for children of all ages, helping students develop strong transferable life skills.
Our students have the chance to extend their knowledge of a practitioner’s works as well as producing creative work, exploring ideas and recording their experiences and in doing so become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques. Evaluating and analysing creative works using the language of art, craft and design assist with building knowledge on great artists, craft makers and designers, and understanding the historical and cultural development of their art forms. This along with our sequential SOW allow students with opportunities to develop their skills in art using a range of media and materials: drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles, 3D work, photography and digital art.
Colour Theory – students further their understanding of the colour wheel and how to successfully mix secondary and tertiary colours using the three primary colours. This continues in to complementary and harmonious colour investigation in paint, researching the artwork of Sarah Graham, leading to the completion of their own hyper realist sweet paintings.
Bug in a Box – students learn how to successfully implement new materials and techniques to their natural form based work. They research the artwork of Rose Sanderson and Joseph Cornell, taking inspiration for a range of tasks to improve their skill set in a variety of media such as collage, painting, drawing and sculpture, working towards realising of intentions, their own ‘bug in a box’ sculpture.
Pepper project
Natural form is the focus for yr 8’s first project, learning through a series of observational tasks to enhance their painting, drawing and making skills. Students learn how to successfully use watercolour as the main painting element of the project. Once the artwork of ceramicist, Kate Malone has been investigated, the students create their own ceramic pepper sculpture, in the process learning about the qualities of clay and how to successfully incorporate into their work.
Day of the Dead
The Mexican festival, Day of the Dead – students learn about the festival in a positive and empathetic manner. The extravagant and brightly coloured celebration is the source for practicing new skills in a variety of media, working towards celebratory festival bunting.
My Dog Sighs
The students enjoy an introduction to street art through the work of artist, My Dog Sighs, who highlights social and moral issues such as mental health and homelessness through the innovative and discriminating story behind his work. The students work towards creating similar pieces on recycled surfaces.
The Art of Food
Claus Oldenburg and Peter Anton’s food sculptures are the source of the contextual studies for The Art of Food project, students create a series of 3D sculptures in a variety of materials. The project focuses on revisiting skills learnt throughout their art experience so far and enhancing their understanding of applying techniques and processes in a successful manner and realise intentions as a well-executed series of mini food themed sculptures.
Art at GCSE will help you to build on all the skills you learnt during KS3. This course will suit you if you enjoy using your imagination and like being creative. All of our projects give you a starting point, encouraging you to take an idea in a direction of your choosing.
You will work on two projects in yr 10 and two in yr 11 (mock exam and main exam). You will use A4 sketchbooks to record your learning processes, media trials and artist research. You will be expected to work in your own time on your projects as well as in lessons with 1.5 hours homework a week, most students come to Art club on Wednesday or Thursday to complete this in school.
You will work under the Art, Craft and Design title, therefore allowing for many different materials and ideas to be explored. If you were to continue to study A Level at The Chase, you are able to study Art & Design, 3D Art, Fine Art, photography or Graphic Communication in your own studio setting.
NOTE - Art & Photography cannot be selected together, you will have to choose either of these options.
|
GCSE Art and Design |
|
|
Component 1 – 8201C
Component 2 – 8201X
|
This part of your course is your coursework. You will complete several different projects to cover a wide variety of media and skills.
This part of your course will still be project based, but the project theme(s) are set by the exam board. During this Unit you will work for 10 hours under exam conditions. |
Progression and Career Opportunities
Employers and courses in Higher or Further education increasingly place value on creative thinking. The transferable skills acquired in Art and Design will stand pupils in good stead. Progression onto an Art A level or college course will be the natural progression if you wish to take your Art studies further. Career opportunities in Art & Design are plentiful and varied, for example a career in interior design, architecture, hairdressing, graphic design, photography, illustration or ceramics will all require an art background.