Art

Art and Design

 

The Art department at St. Michael’s aims to provide pupils with an enjoyable and meaningful curriculum set within an environment that encourages and gives multiple opportunities for pupils to demonstrate and enhance their skills, knowledge and understanding. This enables progression through the level descriptions for art and design.

Teachers provide pupils with practical demonstrations which are central to the teaching ethos of the department. This provides an effective means of introducing new skills and techniques whilst generating confidence in the students.

External visits to art galleries are organised whenever possible and the department works closely with local artists. The department also participates in competitions relevant to the course structure.

KS3

Purpose of study

At St. Michael’s we aim to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims
The art department aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
  • Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
  • Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
  • Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Subject content
Pupils are taught to develop their creativity and ideas, and increase proficiency in their execution. They develop a critical understanding of artists, architects and designers, expressing reasoned judgements that can inform their own work.

Pupils are taught:

  • to use a range of techniques to record their observations in sketchbooks, journals and other media as a basis for exploring their ideas
  • to use a range of techniques and media, including painting
  • to increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials
  • to analyse and evaluate their own work, and that of others, in order to strengthen the visual impact or applications of their work
  • about the history of art, craft, design and architecture, including periods, styles and major movements from ancient times up to the present day.

Curriculum Content Art and Design KS3

KS4

GCSE Exam Board: EDEXCEL
http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/art-and-design-2016.html

GCSE FINE ART – Content and assessment overview

The Edexcel GCSE (9–1) in Art and Design consists of two internally assessed and externally moderated components.

Component 1: Personal Portfolio (internally set).

72 marks (18 marks for each of the four Assessment Objectives)

Content overview
This component allows students opportunities to:
• develop and explore ideas
• research primary and contextual sources
• experiment with media, materials, techniques and processes
• present personal response(s) to theme(s) set by the centre.
Assessment overview
• Students’ work must comprise supporting studies and personal response(s).
• Students’ work must show evidence of all four Assessment Objectives.
• All work is internally set and is internally marked using the assessment grid and internally standardised.
• A sample of work is externally moderated by a visiting moderator.
• All marks are submitted before moderation.

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment

72 marks (18 marks for each of the four Assessment Objectives)

Content overview
The Externally Set Assignment (ESA) represents the culmination of the GCSE course as it draws together all the knowledge, understanding and skills developed in Component 1.

Students must present personal response(s) to an externally set broad-based thematic starting point, set out in the ESA paper.

This component allows students opportunities to:
• develop and explore ideas
• research primary and contextual sources
• experiment with media, materials, techniques and processes
• present personal response(s) to the externally-set theme.

Assessment overview
The ESA paper is released on 2 January each year and given to students as soon as it is released. There is a preparatory period of study prior to the start of the 10-hour sustained focus period. Students’ work must comprise preparatory studies and personal response(s). Preparatory studies will comprise a portfolio of development work based on the ESA broad-based thematic starting point.

During the 10-hour period of sustained focus under examination conditions, students will work unaided to produce personal response(s), with reference to their preparatory studies, in response to the ESA broad-based thematic starting point.

Students’ work must show evidence of all four Assessment Objectives.

All work is internally marked using the assessment grid and internally standardised. A sample of work is externally moderated by a visiting moderator. All marks must be submitted before moderation.

Curriculum Content Art and Design KS4

KS5 

The A level art course at St. Michael’s provides students with the opportunity to gain experience and understanding of a selection of art and design practices. You will be able to explore a variety of ways of seeing and thinking about what is around you and develop a coherent and personal visual language with which to express your ideas.

This course is aimed at creative minded pupils and encourages an adventurous and enquiring approach to art and design. Students will develop practical skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and related activities which will enable them to express their own ideas. Students will develop an understanding of past and contemporary art and design practice.

Course content (Edexcel)
The A level comprises 2 components:

Component 1: Personal Investigation (60%)
Part 1 – practical work:

  • From personal starting points
  • Students submit:
    – Supporting studies
    – Practical outcome(s)

Part 2 – personal study:

  • Students submit a piece of continuous prose of a minimum of 1000 words.

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment (40%)

  • Externally-set, broad-based theme.
  • Sustained focus period of 15-hours controlled assessment in which students create final response(s) to the theme.

Students submit:

  • Preparatory studies
  • Practical outcome(s)

How is the course examined?

  • An internally assessed unit of coursework per year
  • An externally set examination per year

Key Skills
Students will develop the following key skills:

  • Develop intellectual, imaginative, creative and intuitive powers.
  • Develop investigative, analytical, experimental, technical and expressive skills, aesthetic understanding and critical judgement.
  • Develop knowledge and understanding of the role and achievements of artists, craftspeople and designers in the past and in contemporary society.
  • Develop an understanding of the relationship between, and the connections across the disciplines of art, craft and design.

What will this course prepare me for?
This A-level gives students the potential to progress to university onto an art-related degree course, through a pre-degree Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.

The course could also lead to a career in teaching, fashion, gallery/ museum management, architecture, interior design, graphics, film and television design, jewellery design, theatre and set design and production, TV and film, art directing or as an artist or art technician.

Extra-Curricular
Every opportunity is made to give pupils the opportunity to visit galleries and museums. Here they can note work by famous artists and crafts people and collect information by relating to primary source material.

Each year the department invites practicing artists into the school to work with pupils giving them an insight into where art can take you.