Art

About Our Subject

Students arriving at KS3 come from a range of different art experiences, we teach them the skills and techniques to execute creative ideas successfully so that when they leave us at KS5 they can produce work suitable for public exhibitions. All students have the opportunity to explore a wide range of media and examine a diverse range of artwork to build knowledge and understanding. Students are taught how to handle tools and materials and apply these to achieve realistic and more surreal and abstract imagery. Students achieve GCSE and A level results which are typically higher than the national average with our A level students consistently achieving 100% A* – C grades and GCSE students consistently achieving over 92% level 9 – 4. Daily art clubs allow students to build on classwork, complete homework, and meet deadlines for examination work with access to support and materials. Staff have high expectations and adapt teaching to ensure that the level of challenge meets the level of skill so that students have the highest possibility of success. 

Key Stage 3 Information

Year 7

In Year 7 students work in sketchbooks which are viewed as a portfolio of work. Projects focus on animals and the environment. Students use 2D media to learn how to apply marks creating the illusion of fur and feathers using imagery which they are all familiar with. They also explore local landscape and architecture, developing surreal and abstract compositions using line, pattern, shape and colour together with mixed media. 

Year 8

In Year 8, students build upon their existing knowledge and skills by exploring a diverse range of non-Western art and craft traditions. The curriculum begins with an in-depth study of Mexico’s vibrant Day of the Dead festival, examining its cultural significance, symbolism, and visual traditions. Students then explore the expressive and surreal self-portraits of celebrated Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, developing their understanding of personal identity and symbolism in art.

Building on these experiences, students further refine their observational drawing skills through a series of food-themed projects. They study the work of contemporary artists such as Sarah Graham and Andrea Joseph, analysing their highly detailed and realistic approaches to drawing. Through these investigations, students develop greater accuracy, attention to detail, tonal control, and confidence in recording from observation.

Year 9

Students will experiment with a range of both 2D and 3D media, exploring mark-making techniques and the visual qualities of texture. They will investigate more abstract approaches to art through the work of Louise Nevelson, alongside the intricate scientific illustrations of Ernst Haeckel, gaining an appreciation of pattern, form, and structure found in the natural world. Building on these studies, students will design and create imaginative sculptures inspired by Haeckel’s detailed observations of nature, combined with the environmentally focused mixed-media sculptures of Stéphanie Kilgast. Through this project, students will develop their sculptural skills while exploring themes of biodiversity, sustainability, and the relationship between nature and human impact.

Key Stage 4 Information

At Key stage 4, students have the option to study one of three visual arts courses, these include art and design, photography and art make up which focuses on body art and special effects make up for TV and film. In all three areas students produce a practical portfolio of work which includes between two and three units of coursework over the two years of the course. This work forms 60% of the total GCSE mark. During the second year, students produce a further portfolio of work on a theme set by the exam board, followed by a 10-hour practical timed test. This externally set project provides the remaining 40% of the total GCSE mark. 

In art and design, students work on a broad theme which they can tailor to their specific interests. They will gather images on their theme using photography and experiment with a range of media to explore how they can represent these. Students take inspiration from artists, designers and craftspeople that they are interested in and use these as a starting point for developing their own work. Students will create several pieces of work, refining their ideas, creating a personal response to their theme. 

In art make up, students use client led themed briefs as starting points to produce make up art and simple costumes. They learn how to use special effects make up for TV, theatre and film. Students explore with latex, face paints and grease paints using themselves as a canvass. They develop skills in Photoshop to edit and develop images of their work.

In photography students learn how to use DSLR cameras in aperture priority and shutter priority modes and well as manual modes. They develop skills in the basic principles of good photographic composition. Students learn how to use Photoshop to edit and be creative with their images. Themed units of work ensure students explore landscape, architecture, still life and street photography. 

Within all the visual art courses, students work is marked holistically to reflect the four different assessment objectives which include: 

• Developing ideas based on looking at sources including artists, craftspeople and designers.  
• Refining work though experimentation with media, tools and techniques. 
• Recording ideas through, mark making, making and writing. 
• Creating a personal response. 

Key Stage 5 Information

Click here to view the KS5 Course Information