Courses Offered

BTEC Level 2 First Award in Art and Design – Awarding board Edexcel (Year 9 1 Year option)

GCSE Unendorsed Art, Craft and Design and Photography - Awarding Board AQA 

A Level Art, Craft and Design, Graphic Communication, Photography and Art Textiles – Awarding Board AQA.

The Team:

Mrs L Judd / Mr A Connell (Heads of Department), Mrs H Locke, Mrs E Wilk (Technician)

Art education involves:

• Enabling students to become visually literate: to use and understand Art as a form of visual and tactile communication and to have confidence and competence in reading and evaluating visual images and artefacts.
• Developing particular creative and technical skills so that ideas can be realised and artefacts produced
• Promoting students' aesthetic sensibilities, and so they make informed judgements about Art
• Encouraging students' capacity for imaginative and original thought and experimentation
• Helping students to learn about and observe the world in which they live
• Enabling students to articulate and communicate ideas, opinions and feelings about their own work and that of others
• Teaching students to value the contribution made by artists, craftworkers and designers and to respond thoughtfully, critically and imaginatively to ideas, images and objects of many kinds and from many cultures.

Key Stage 3

In Years 7 and 8 students experience a broad-based education with the initial emphasis on developing, recording and research skills and developing an understanding of the formal elements then moving onto promoting the acquisition of technical skills together with a more complete understanding of how Art as a language can be used.

Key Stage 4

In Years 9, 10 and 11 students continue to build on their practical skills as well as their ability to be creative and express ideas in a personal way.  Teaching is in line with the AQA syllabus for the two exam courses offered which include Art, Craft and Design and Photography.  All students are encouraged to visit Art galleries in order to appreciate the work of others and to make meaningful connections with their own work.

In Year 9 there is also a one-year BTEC Level 2 vocational Art option.  The BTEC First Award in Art and Design provides the opportunity for students to develop their knowledge and understanding by applying their learning and skills in a work-related context.  This is an exciting but demanding course equivalent to one GCSE.

Key Stage 5

Students at this level carry out a broad-based programme of study covering a range of media areas depending on their chosen specialism.  Projects are designed to give students the opportunity of developing personal responses that grow out of combining high levels of technical expertise and strong individual ideas. On all A Level courses students are expected to explore a wide range of genres and techniques.  They develop their ideas, skills and personal styles in order to build a confident portfolio of work that also supports their College applications.