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Art and Design

The Art & Design curriculum provides students with a unique opportunity to develop their practical art skills, as well as their understanding and appreciation of the visual arts. The aim of the course is that students learn to think and create as artists, craftspeople and designers in their own right, but also learn to value the role that the visual arts and design plays in the enrichment their lives. Students are introduced to a broad range of different materials and techniques such as painting, collage, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics which they will learn to use with increasing confidence, creativity and imagination.

Key Stage 3

KS3 Overview

Years 7 to 9 are divided into a series of exciting termly projects, each with a specific focus and offering a different way for students to creatively explore and become engaged by the subject. All projects involve the study of the work of other artists or designers, but the main emphasis for each unit can range from developing a practical skill such as printmaking or ceramics, through to the exploration of another culture or using visual art to present an issue which impacts on their lives.

How we Assess Your Child's Progress

Throughout each project students' work is formatively assessed by their art teacher, with opportunities for self and peer assessment. Students will use this guidance to reflect on their progress and improve their work. Each student’s work is assessed at the midpoint and end of a project against the art and design threshold statements. This is recorded in the progress tracker sheet in the front of each student’s sketchbook.

Year 7

Skills Developed

The Art and Design curriculum in Year 7 provides a significant step forward, with many students experiencing their first specialist art teaching. Students will have the opportunity to work with a range of materials and practical techniques depending on the focus of the project for the term However, there is a emphasis on painting and basic colour theory, observational drawing using a broad range of approaches and introduction to the formal elements. Students also learn how to appreciate, research and analyse the work of artists and designers, express their opinions in class and present their findings creatively in their sketchbooks.

Topics Covered

Download the Art and Design Curriculum overview Year 7

Me, Myself and I: an introductory project in which students will use a range of different techniques and approaches to explore self-identity. T he practical focus of this unit is on painting skills and colour theory.
In Focus: in this project students will investigate and develop their skills of observational drawing and understanding of the formal elements, using natural forms for inspiration.
Voyages: the focus for this project is on the nature of narrative and allegory within art and design. Projects often use stories or poetry as a source of inspiration.

How we Support and Develop Your Child

Each project uses a different way to engage with the subject, for example working with print, sculpture or using poetry and stories as a source of inspiration for a mixed media final piece. This approach allows students to experience many ways of working and discover approaches that match their talents. Students are also shown examples for each activity or skill they are using to help guide them. Most projects have an ‘extended homework task’ built into the scheme of work, which gives students the opportunity to create a more independent and sustained homework piece, for example a sculpture constructed from recycled materials for the Voyages project. Students are also able to use the art rooms outside of lesson times, in arrangement with their teacher, so they can get additional support or access materials that they may not have at home. Both the lower school library and art department have a wide range books which students can use for independent research.

Year 8

Skills Developed

The Year 8 Art and Design curriculum builds on and extends the skills introduced in Year 7. Students will have the opportunity to work with an increasing range of materials and experience a range of techniques depending on the practical focus of the project. Group work is often a feature of Year 8 as is addressing contemporary issues and approaching more complex work. Students will continue to develop their appreciation and analysis of the work of artists and designers with more in depth research including a greater understanding of context particularly through the Conflict unit.

Topics Covered

Download the Art Year 8 Curriculum Overview

Look Around You : a project which uses the students’ local environment a starting point. There is a focus on observational recording using the school grounds at the start of the unit.
Conflict : in this project students will investigate how famous artists have been inspired by a subject of concern and then create their own personal response to an issue of their choice.
Pattern and Structure : a printmaking unit in which students explore in depth the creative potential of a practical technique.

How we Support and Develop Your Child

Each project allows for a different way to engage with the subject, for example working with print, sculpture or exploring an issue like global warming as a group activity. This approach allows students to experience many ways of working and discover approaches that match their talents. Students are also shown examples for each activity or skill they are using to help guide them. Most projects have an ‘extended homework task’ built into the scheme of work, which gives students the opportunity to create a more independent and sustained homework piece, for example researching current news events and producing a visual diary as part of the Conflict project. Students are also able to use the art rooms outside of lesson times, in arrangement with their teacher, so they can get additional support or access materials that they may not have at home. Both the lower school library and art department have a wide range books which students can use for independent research.

Year 9

Skills Developed

The Art and Design curriculum in Year 9 consolidates the practical and research skills covered in Years 7 and 8. Two projects are covered in more depth. In ‘Art Goes Pop’ students look in greater detail at a major art movement. In the ‘Around the World’ project the visual culture of other countries is explored in comparison to the students own experience. Students will also research opportunities within the art and design career pathway and their benefit to the UK economy and wider culture. Extended homework tasks for each project allow students to show even greater independence as they move towards their GCSE choices and Key Stage 4.

Topics Covered

Download the Art Year 9 Curriculum Overview

Art Goes Pop
Around the World
Artist Project

How we Support and Develop Your Child

Each project allows for a different way to engage with the subject, for example working with mixed media collage, sculpture or investigating a culture through the production and video of a shadow puppet play. This approach allows students to experience many ways of working and discover approaches that match their talents. Students are also shown examples for each activity or skill they are using to help guide them. Most projects have an ‘extended homework task’ built into the scheme of work, which gives students the opportunity to create a more independent and sustained homework piece, for example making a Pop Art object as part of the Art Goes Pop project. Students are also able to use the art rooms outside of lesson times, in arrangement with their teacher, so they can get additional support or access materials that they may not have at home. Both the lower school library and art department have a wide range books which students can use for independent research.

Key Stage 4

Subject Leader: Mrs C. Burridge

Email: burridgec@lytchett.org.uk

What are the aims of the course?
This is an exciting and stimulating course for students who have developed a proven enthusiasm for Art & Design during Years 7-9. The course aims to provide a lively and challenging involvement in a broad range of Art and Design activities which all students then use to develop and communicate their own ideas.

What is the content of the course?
Throughout the course students will experiment with and refine their skills in the use of a wide range of materials including painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, photography, digital media as well as constructed and modelled sculpture. Students will then use these skills to create individual responses to the themes of each coursework project.

Download the Art Year 10 Curriculum Overview

Download the Art Year 11 Curriculum Overview

How will it be assessed?
Coursework produced throughout Year 10 and 11 makes up 60% of the final grade with the final practical examination project counting for 40%. There is no final written examination; however, students are expected to annotate their sketchbooks throughout the course with analysis of other artists’ work.

What will the course be like?
Whilst all students will experience working with similar media, they are encouraged to become increasingly independent as the course progresses. School visits to galleries and exhibitions will take place during the course, but students are also encouraged and expected to visit exhibitions independently. It is very important that students are resourceful and take responsibility for the development of personal work. Work at home is as important as studio-based work and students are also encouraged to seek extra support by attending the weekly after school coursework club.

Are there any special requirements?
If you are considering opting for Art & Design you should have shown some ability in the subject such as drawing, use of colour or media but most importantly a genuine enthusiasm for art and design as a whole.

Students are expected to provide their own sketchbooks for each project and have an extensive set of materials to use for homework tasks. Financial support is available for Pupil Premium students.

What will I be able to do by the end of the course?
As a successful GCSE Art & Design student you will be able to use a broad range of media with confidence in the production of personal and accomplished final pieces of work. You will also be able to research other artists and designers and use this to inform and influence your own work.

The Creative and Visual Arts are a large and expanding sector in the economy with many varied career opportunities for hard working and talented individuals. Currently over three million people work in the creative industries throughout the UK.

Successful completion of the GCSE course will enable you to go onto study Fine Art, Textiles or Photography at A level. This in turn could lead to further study at Further or Higher Education level in one of the many creative and visual arts areas such as fashion and textiles, graphic design, animation, film and new media, design management, fine art, 3D design or sculpture and animation. Lytchett Minster School Art Department has a strong tradition of students successfully taking up a wide variety of Higher Education courses in this field.

During the first half of Year 10 students will follow a foundation project, they will then develop individual personal work guided by their strengths and interests. This is intended to allow students to broaden their understanding of their own art work as well as analysing and making connections to the work of other artists and designers.
Coursework produced throughout Year 10 and 11 makes up 60% of the final grade with the final practical examination project counting for 40%. There is no final written examination; however, students are expected to annotate their sketchbooks throughout the course with analysis of other artists’ work.

Students are expected to provide their own sketchbooks for each project and have an extensive set of materials to use for homework tasks. Financial support is available for Pupil Premium students.

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