Art & Design
Art & Design enables pupils to engage with the visual world around them and create responses in personal and unique ways. Pupils gain insights into the creative work of artists, designers and craftspeople and to use their own responses to inform and develop their ideas.
The Art Department features a dark room and computer suite to support photography studies as well as a kiln for ceramics. Art is spread across three classrooms with GCSE Textile Design attached to the Design & Technology Department. Computers are installed with Photoshop to ensure the highest quality editing services. Our printer press enables pupils to create Renolin and collagraph prints and all years have a wide range of media to work with, including acrylic, watercolour and oil paint, pastels, charcoal, chalk, colour pencils, inks and pens to name a few. In addition to sewing machines, pupils are also able to design transferable artwork through the use of our sublimation printer and heat press.
Year 7-9 Art & Design
Year 7 - Year 9 follow a well-rounded curriculum to provide opportunities to become reflective artists whilst building on specific technical and researching skills. Year 7 focus on building the core skills of drawing and painting as well as understanding colour theory, proportion and perspective through a landscape and environmental themes. In Year 8, pupils begin to understand three dimensional forms in their cultural artefacts project as well as graphics and advertising in a music themed project.
Year 9 continue to develop understanding of form in a sculpture project and learn portraiture skills during the final two terms.
Challenge & Extension: After school sessions are held between Monday and Thursday, for all years, to help pupils expand their work further. Ceramics and photography clubs are also on offer at different points in the year. There are regular trips for each year group and a cross-curricular residential trip usually runs during the October half term. A House photography competition runs during the Summer Term and the department also provides whole school activities during the Big Draw. Art Scholars participate in the Arts Award, working their way up from bronze to gold.
Years 10-11 Art & Design GCSE: Fine Art; Photography; Textiles
Subject to the GSCE Options available, pupils can choose to study a combination of two of the following:
- Art & Design: Art
- Art & Design: Photography
- Art & Design: Textile Design
Art & Design: Art
Pupils celebrate their individuality through creative investigations, where they are supported in the use of a wide range of approaches, starting points, processes and techniques. Each project is inspired by contextual research, which might be a visit to an exhibition, a location or personal research. Previous outcomes have included film, animation, photography, illustration, sculpture, textiles, painting, drawing and installation.
Challenge & Extension: After school sessions are held between Monday and Thursday, for all years, to help pupils expand their work further. Art Scholars and Challenge & Extension pupils are provided with enrichment activities such as jewellery making and workshops run by artists in residence.
Art & Design: Photography
Pupils learn to push boundaries and develop an exciting range of new skills and techniques during the study of this subject. Traditional darkroom photography leads to toning and colouring images, which can be combined with digital imagery via Photoshop. Girls experiment with digital negatives, painting on developer, sun prints and toning and colouring black and white prints. Digital media is explored and taken forward with the evolution of two and three-dimensional work which can incorporate textile media, foam board, glass, mirrors and wood. Starting points are taken from contextual studies of inspirational photographers and artists.
Challenge & Extension: After school sessions are held between Monday and Thursday, for all years, to help pupils expand their work further. Darkroom workshops and visits to ideal photographic locations are offered to our Art Scholars and Challenge & Extension pupils.
Art & Design: Textile Design
Textile Design encompasses both technical and creative artistic skills. Pupils use a range of starting points, including observational drawings and photographs and work by artists and craftspeople from a range of cultures and times.
The emphasis of the course is on experimentation and the assimilation of a wide range of new and exciting skills and techniques, including diverse painting, printing and resist techniques, working in two-and three-dimensions, with a variety of materials, mixed media and resources which include CAD/CAM, and laser technology.
Pupils develop a broad core of work which shows their journey from initial ideas through to a realised piece.
Challenge & Extension: After school sessions are held between Monday and Thursday, for all years, to help pupils expand their work further. Art Scholars and Challenge & Extension pupils are provided with enrichment activities.
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