The Art Department encourages students to explore, enjoy and develop their creative thinking and artistic skills. This is primarily achieved through Assessment Objectives, which offer a wide range of opportunities to experience the rich and varied approaches to making and appreciating art, craft and design. Further opportunities are available in the form of the key stage 3 Art Club supported by the pupil Art Leaders, and an open department policy for GCSE/BTEC pupils. Visit us @NoadswoodArt
We believe art is an invaluable experience in a student’s education. It offers them the opportunity to be creative learners and thinkers, to have a sense of individuality and a freedom of expression. This enables the development of self-worth, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Art can also provide a platform for individual learning and is often seen as an enjoyable part of the student’s day.
Year 7
Year 7 students attend three 60 minute lessons per fortnight. They have the opportunity to experience a range of techniques including painting and drawing, researching art and artists, printmaking and sculpting with clay.
Students learn artistic knowledge, skills and understanding that will help them develop their own creative abilities and enable growth in their enjoyment and appreciation of art, craft and design.
Year 7 Art & Design is divided into modules (assessment objectives). Each module focuses on a different area of assessment and creative focus. This enables pupils to get to grips with various techniques, process and materials. The AOs are as follows:
AO1: Developing drawing skills – The still life, natural forms
AO2: Colour theory – Painting
AO3: Exploring and making with clay – Dragon heads
AO4: Printmaking – Poly-printing skills and techniques
Year 8
In Year 8, students attend three 60 minute lesson per fortnight. They have the opportunity to build and refine a range of techniques including painting and drawing, researching art and artists, printmaking.
Students develop skills, knowledge and understanding, introduced in Year 7 that will help them become more independent practitioners in art, craft and design.
Continuing from Year 7, Year 8 Art & Design is divided into modules (assessment objectives). Each module focuses on a different area of assessment and creative focus. This enables pupils to develop techniques, process and materials. The AOs are as follows:
AO1: Developing and progressing drawing in colour - Plants and flowers
AO2: Developing and progressing painting – Hockney landscapes
AO3: Developing and progressing printmaking – Narrative illustration
Year 9
In the final year of key stage 3, pupils studying Art in Year 9 will be taught via phases, which will enable them to develop and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding within art in preparation for key stage 4. Year 9 pupils explore and investigate the following themes, supported by learning how to write and analyse artwork and concepts:
Drawing – Portraits
Sculpture – Clay gargoyles and grotesques
Painting - Abstraction and composition
Photography – Portraiture
Textile art – Manipulating fabrics
Year 10 and 11
In years 10 and 11, the art department offers pupils four different level 2 qualifications. Three pathways at GCSE and one BTEC.
The GCSE art courses are Fine Art, Textile Design, and Photography. Students work towards a portfolio of work and an externally set exam. The portfolio makes up 60% of the final grade with the exam contributing 40%. Students’ portfolios must include a sustained project developed in response to a subject, and a selection of further work. Preparation work plays an important role in the development of ideas and the creative process, and contributes to the grade awarded. This allows students to explore and experiment with media, designs and ideas before producing final outcomes. All students are required to investigate sources and analyse the work of other artists. They should also be able to record insights using drawing, and appropriate specialist vocabulary. Themes explored across the pathways include: Landscape, portraiture, autobiography, grotesque sculpture, plus additional topics.
Students who follow the BTEC Tech Award course explore a vocational approach to art, craft and design.
This course follows two components which are externally set themed briefs.
- Component 1 is 60% of the overall grade and Component 2 is 40% of the overall grade.
- This Level 2 qualification is equivalent to a GCSE Art & Design.
- Pupils are graded by pass, merit, distinction and distinction*.
Pupils are required to consider clients and a target audience when researching and creating their artwork like a professional artist would. Research work and investigation plays an important role in the development of ideas and the creative process, and contributes to the grade awarded. This allows students to explore and experiment with media, designs and ideas before producing final outcomes.
Component 1: Creative Practice in Art and Design - Sketchbook
Component 2: Responding to a brief - Digital Portfolio
The Art Department uses AQA for its GCSE course and PEARSON for its BTEC First course.