Art and Design
Head of Department: Ms B Davis
This is an academic and creative programme of study that prepares you for each stage of school and beyond. The GCSE and A Level are recognised by all top universities as excellent training in a broad range of skills beyond the visual ones. Arts and cultural learning is more important than ever for the health of our communities and our society. Creativity is essential in a global economy that needs a workforce that is knowledgeable, imaginative and innovative.
Our course is structured around the AQA requirements to provide the best preparation for continuing in your studies. It is a broad course exploring practical and critical/contextual work though a range of 2D and 3D processes. You will develop broad technical skills that enable you to follow any pathway or specialism. You are encouraged to work in a wide range of styles and techniques and to take risks.
The Art & Design studios are a space where students have the freedom to express their ideas and thoughts and work creatively.
Curriculum intent
Pupils will know and understand a broad range of specialisms developing their skills across disciplines. The spiral curriculum ensures students are confident in the creative process deepening their independent abilities. Students will develop inquisitive and creative minds that they are able to use whilst underpinning their progress with critical thinking.
Engagement with the arts helps our young people to develop a sense of their own identity and value. Studying Art & Design enables our students to develop an appreciation of difference and diversity and the views of others. This, in turn, develops personal responsibility within the school and wider community.
Students learn about the formal elements of Art & Design and how to use key terms in order to talk and write about their work confidently and fluently. Students learn to analyse traditional and contemporary work looking at the process, form, mood and content of the work. They explore historic Art & Design movements as well as the world around them when seeking inspiration for their own practice. This develops students’ cultural capital and encourages engagement in historical and contemporary practice from diverse perspectives. Students are able to work within a theme and learn how to use a sketchbook in order to document their creative journey.
We have a spiral curriculum that means students follow the same assessment structure from year 7 all the way through to year 13. The assessment structure is that of the creative process and is broken down into the 4 strands below. These Assessment Objectives are all equally weighted.
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Assessment RESEARCH |
Assessment MEDIA |
Assessment RECORD |
Assessment OUTCOME |
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Use of visual and artist research, to develop ideas. |
Exploration of media and techniques, to refine ideas. |
Documenting through visual and written annotations. |
Present a personal and meaningful outcome realising intentions. |
Key Stage 3
In each year, students create one extended project demonstrating the creative process by focusing on technical quality to support media exploration. Students are able to self and peer critique their work confidently and critically against success criteria in order to progress in their abilities and further develop their skills.
Year 7
Starting Point: Trees
AO 1
Students focus on visual research through photography and drawing techniques. Students explore a range of different artists and styles to influence their work. As the year progresses, they have more choice in who they research and how they use them.
AO 2
Students explore a wide range of 2D media and techniques including printmaking, drawing and clay.
AO 3
Students learn what a sketchbook is and how to use it to document their ideas and learning.
AO 4
Students produce outcomes throughout the year that link to their learning up to that point.
Year 8
Starting Point: Identity
AO 1
Students focus on visual research through photography and drawing techniques. Students explore a range of different artists and styles to influence their work. They have choice in who they research and how they use them to develop their independence and personal skills.
AO 2
Students explore a wide range of media and techniques linked to their artists including drawing, collage and paint.
AO 3
Students build on their understanding of how to use a sketchbook with more focus on layout and impactful annotation.
AO 4
Students produce outcomes throughout the year that link to their learning up to that point.
Year 9
Starting Point: Fruit & Veg / Domestic Vessels / Skeletal / Floral / Funghi / Insects & Reptiles
AO 1
Students focus on visual research through photography and drawing techniques. Students explore a range of different artists and styles to influence their work. They have choice in who they research and how they use them to develop their independence and personal skills.
AO 2
Students explore a wide range of media and techniques linked to their artists. They complete several workshops introducing them to media they may not have previously explored. These workshops are tailored to the group and may include; printmaking, photography, digital editing, 3D design.
AO 3
Students work in a sketchbook on an A3 scale to help with more ambitious ideas and media. Students continue to work with focus on layout and annotation.
AO 4
Students produce personal outcomes throughout the year that link to their learning up to that point.
KS3 Homework
Homework is set regularly as an extension of classwork to prepare students for the independent practical work which will be required from them in year 10 and 11.
KS3 Key Terms & Concepts
Tone, Line, Pattern, Colour, Texture, Form, Space, Research, Mark Making, Composition, Proportion, Tonal Range, Building Form, Background, Colour Theory, Complementary Colour, Harmonious Colour, Identity, Relief, Contrast, Lighting, Positive/Negative Space, Layout, Saturation, Rule of Thirds, Emphasis, Balance
Key Stage 4
We run the AQA GCSE in Art, Craft and Design. This specification enables us to teach across specialisms and support students in developing their own identity and pathway.
This is a 2-year programme that is split across the 6 terms as set out below. Please note that Unit 1 runs into Year 11.
Year 10 and 11
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Unit 1 Portfolio
No exam
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60% |
YEAR 10 |
Term 1
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Term 2
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Term 3 |
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YEAR 11 |
Term 4
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Unit 2 Externally Set Assignment
10hr Practical Exam |
40% |
Term 5
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Term 6
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Work is assessed as 2 portfolios with a separate mark for Unit 1 and Unit 2. The overall mark for each unit is a total out of 96 (24 for each AO)
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Assessment Objective 1 |
Assessment |
Assessment Objective 3 |
Assessment |
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Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources. |
Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes. |
Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses. |
Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language. |
Key Stage 5
At Key Stage 5 students will work on highly personalised projects, where they will explore imagery and ideas through a variety of traditional and contemporary media in response to a range of challenging topics designed to extend creative practice.
Unit 1 - Year 12
Portfolio Unit
60% of A Level grade
1 extended project from a personal starting point
Projects have multiple resolved outcomes
Unit 2 - Feb Year 13
Externally Set Assignment
40% of A Level grade
1 Project from an externally set starting point
Project must include a 15hr timed piece
As part of this 2 year course students will build a portfolio of personal work, which can be used to support their application for undergraduate, Art, Design, Craft, and Engineering programmes.
Assessment is be carried out by external assignment and examination at the end of the second year. Further information regarding the course can be found via the links below:
My experience at Claremont Sixth Form has been an excellent preparation for studying for my foundation at Kensington and Chelsea, I learnt to work independently and be able to discuss my work with others.
Rosemary Dery, Fine Art BA Hons
Enrichment
The Art & Design department delivers a range of challenging Co-Curricular opportunities across Key Stage 3. These include working with animation and stop-motion as well as printmaking clubs. We also run trips to develop the cultural capital of our students, visiting a range of museums and galleries in and around London.
At Key Stage 4 there are a number of practical workshops available to students as well as careers talks from current practitioners working in Art & Design fields.
The Art & Design department design and create the set for the School Productions every year. Students are encouraged to get involved in the making and creating of the set. Older students are welcome to work alongside us through the design process and all the way through to installation. This is a great opportunity for students to be part of a collaborative process and understand the role Art & Design has in theatrical production.
Photos from the Art trip to Paris
Next Steps
Art & Design is the preferred pathway for a huge range of creative and visual areas. Our students go onto many Russell Group Universities with recent graduates having gained Firsts from Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Newcastle and Queen’s University Belfast.
These include but are not limited to:
- Architecture
- Animation
- Advertising
- Cinematography
- Digital Arts
- Fashion Design
- Fine Art
- Game and Media Design
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
- Interior Design
- Model Design
- Textiles
- Visual Culture
- Visual Communiation
- 3D Design BA
Beyond academic pathways, the career opportunities for those with a creative background are enormous. All careers and professions value someone with critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as someone who can think outside the box. For example, visually and clearly communicating an idea from research to execution to implement change within a company. The creative process is what sets individuals apart from the rest and is highly recognised by all professionals; Problem – Idea Generation – Solution – Execution.