Art

Teaching Staff and Responsibilities

Katie Withyman: Subject Leader for Art

Chantal Bellew: Teacher of Art

Jackie Harman: Art Technician

KS3 (Years 7-9)

How do we organise teaching groups at KS3?

At KS3, classes are taught in form groups (classes of 30-32) which are all mixed ability.

What are our aims at KS3?

  • To enjoy and develop a life-long appreciation of art.
  • To experience a broad range of materials and approaches to the subject. They should be able to apply these materials with proficiency.
  • They should be able to experiment creatively and imaginatively.
  • Pupils should be able to make observational drawings with accuracy and apply different drawing techniques.
  • They should be able to use perspective devices for their work.
  • Pupils should be able to apply the formal elements of line, shape, form, tone, texture, pattern, colour and composition with accuracy and skill.
  • Pupils should know about a variety of artists historical, cultural and contemporary.
  • Have knowledge of the history of art, craft, design and architecture, periods, styles and major movements from ancient times to the present day.
  • They should be able to develop well-reasoned ideas and opinions about the artist’s work and their own.
  • They should be able to express themselves creatively.
  • To understand that art can be fundamental in communicating a range of important ideas.
  • Pupils should be able to articulate a broad range of technical vocabulary.
  • To analyse their work and that of artists to help them develop a deeper understanding of artistic meaning and visual language in their work and others.

How does this subject develop over KS3?

  • In Year 7, pupils will acquire a foundation of artistic skill, theoretical and historical knowledge, and creativity. They will practise observational drawing, colour mixing, painting and working with clay.  Within this, they will explore techniques, experimentation and evaluation to help focus reason and meaning. They will learn about historical and contemporary movements and artists.
  • In Year 8 pupils refine observational skills further.  Pupils will revisit, practise and develop work with greater complexity and challenge. Pupils will experiment with a broadening range of materials and expand their technical painting skills. They will begin to analyse a movement of art and develop an in-depth theoretical understanding of artists and their work. They start to look at industry-based jobs and develop work based around these which allows pupils to explore creativity and meaning further.
  • In Year 9 pupils also revisit and practise skills of observation, painting and experimentation with a greater focus on technicality and proficiency. Materials and processes with greater complexity are introduced.  Pupils explore the ideas of meaning, expression, historical context, symbolism, identity and emotion conveyed in art.

What will my daughter learn at KS3?

Year 7

  • Drawing: Observational drawing techniques, using sketching pencils, tone, shading, mark-making techniques. Art History – Contemporary Art – Paul Klee, Post-Impressionism –  Paul Cezanne
  • Colour Theory: Colour groups (primary, secondary, tertiary, monochromatic), using the colour wheel. How to paint with control. Art History – Abstract Art – Wasily Kandinsky.
  • Art History: Learning what an Art Movement is. Exploring styles and periods of art and developing a collaborative art history timeline.
  • Pattern: Designing and making, through print, experimenting with print making through lino relief and stencil.  Looking at different print artists including the Work of Yinka Shonibare and how cultural textiles represent identity.
  • Henry Moore: Figurative sculpture and abstraction. Using mixed media. Art History – Ancient Art – Mexican/African influences.
  • Perspective: One point and two-point perspective.

Year 8

  • Still life: Looking at the different approaches to the historical genre of still life. Techniques for increase objectivity of drawing, experimenting with pastel, pen and surface, exploring composition. Art History – An exploration of Mediaeval Art.
  • Sewing: making felt Christmas decorations, straight stitch, blanket stitch and embellishing with decorations.
  • Cubism: An in-depth look at analytical Cubism and synthetic Cubism. Pupils explore the work of Picasso, Braques and David Hockney to produce personal photography and paintings in response. Art History – Looking at Ancient Art of Africa.
  • Negative space: Increasing objective drawing by learning to see negative space, not an illustration, investigative learning through experimentation with collage and frottage.

Year 9

  • Ready-Mades: Looking at the work of Sarah Graham, using acrylic paints, method of painting to increase objectivity. Art History –  Looking at the styles of ‘ready-mades’, found-objects and photorealism.
  • Portraiture: learning to draw facial features and proportion the face.
  • Clay Cakes: Sculpture with clay to make different types of patisseries.
  • Frida Kahlo: Learning about the artist’s self-reflective approach to narrative in her art, pupils make their own self-reflective painted responses. Art History- Looking at the genre of native mexican folk art and Surrealism.

KS4/GCSE (Years 10-11)

How do we organise teaching groups at KS4?

We have two teaching groups that are both mixed ability (classes of 15-23). Each has a single teacher that will teach them in year 10 and year 11.

Which GCSE specification do we prepare pupils for?

We follow the EDEXCEL Exam Board. We complete the ‘Fine Art’ (1FA0) specification of the Art and Design Suite.  You can find more information here at :

Edexcel GCSE Art and Design 2016

What will my daughter learn at KS4?

The ability to develop personal ideas and responses to stimuli through visual language.

Pupils will be able to analyse and discuss the work of artists through research including gallery-based visits. They will experiment with different materials and techniques.  They will also critique their own work to help idea development and evaluate different processes used.

They will develop technical skills in a range of different materials.

They will become aware of different roles within art, its functions and its purposes.  By the end of the course we hope that students will become independent learners with a reflective approach to their practice.  We hope that they develop a passion for the subject with an inquiring mind.

  • Personal portfolio (worth 60 %) (year 10 and year 11)
  • Pupils will develop two sketchbooks with school set themes. Each sketchbook will result in final out of book pieces.  Pupils should also produce some out of book preparatory pieces.
  • Externally set assignment (worth 40%) (Year 11)
  • Pupils will receive an early release paper, with an exam board set theme. They will develop a sketchbook in response to the theme and then complete a final response in examination conditions over a sustained period of 10 hours.

Are there any websites that will support my daughter’s learning?

KS5/A Level (Y12-13)

How do we organise teaching groups at KS5?

At KS5, classes are taught in option groups (classes of 7-16) which are all mixed ability.

Which A Level specification do we prepare pupils for?

OCR A Level Fine Art (H601).  Here is a link to the specification for more detailed information:

www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/art-and-design-h200-h600-from-2015/

What will my daughter learn at KS5?

Year 12

  • In the first term, students are taught a range of sophisticated approaches to art, including etching, life drawing, and technical approaches to still life, perspective and theory and art history.
  • After this, pupils begin to develop a personal portfolio (60%) response with a self-selected theme.
  • They will learn to develop personal ideas in an intellectual way in response to their chosen theme.
  • They will learn to experiment with a broad range of materials and processes
  • They have to complete an extended piece of writing based on a related art history-based theme to their personal investigation (1000 words).

Year 13

  • Pupils complete their work for their personal investigation with a final response as well as larger supporting work outside of their portfolio.
  • They produce a visual outcome for their written related study.
  • Externally set assignment (40%) which is an early release paper with an exam board set theme.
  • Pupils have a shorter period of time to produce a sketchbook of preparatory work.
  • The practical outcome to the sketchbook work is produced in examination conditions over 15 hours.

Are there any websites that will support my daughter’s learning?