Art & Design Technology

Through a variety of skills focused learning students, are given the opportunity to experience different approaches to Art, Craft and Design Technology. There is a balance in the programme of study across our 4 key skills in Knowledge, Exploration, Recording and Reflecting.

Students are introduced to and study and be inspired the work of artists & designers from our own culture and other cultures both past and present. Through their own work and the study of other artists, students will develop visual perception and literacy so enabling them to analyse using an Art, Craft and Design vocabulary.

They have the opportunity to develop practical skills, explore tools, processes & techniques in two-dimensional and three-dimensional work in both traditional media, digital software & CAD/CAM.

Students learn to record their ideas & observations as well as to develop their creative characteristics with challenges encouraging them as learners to be innovative, envision, investigate and actualise.

What is taught and how?

Students are taught in specialist rooms with access to ADT equipment.

Years 7 & 8

Students have weekly lessons in Art .

1 Lesson a fortnight each in Textiles & 3D / Product Design (RM)

1 lesson a fortnight in Creative Minds – bridging learning across Art & Design Technology.

Year 9

Students have weekly lessons in Art .

Students currently can opt for more focused study in a Design subject, 3D / Textiles or Graphics for lessons once a week as a foundation year before GCSE.

KS4

Students can choose to opt for a range of Art & Design GCSE courses. Currently Fine Art. Graphics / Photography, 3D/Product Design (RM), Textiles

Art Programme of Study

Year 7

‘Artists Communicate Visually’ Elements - Line & Tone & Colour

Extending understanding and practice of the key art elements Line & Tone and building fine motor skills, through a range of shorter tasks and critical connections. With themes including mark-making, abstract line & architecture.

Extending understanding and practice of the key art element colour through a range of tasks to understand and apply colour theory. Extended with critical investigation to Impressionism & Landscapes.

Elements – Textures, Pattern & Form

Using the theme of Animals developing element & principle knowledge in pattern, texture & form in 2D & 3D. Critical connections with art from a range of cultures representing animals in art forms as well as contemporary practice from Aardman.

Year 8

Representation to Abstraction

‘Artists record what they see’

A longer programme of study which includes a range of shorter tasks, longer outcomes which enable students to make compositional choices and make connections with the work of others.

Revisiting recording skills and elements line tone & texture, from a range of sources both primary & secondary. Outcomes further develop skills in drawing from observation and recording photographically. Critical connections to Michael Craig-Martin & Georgia O’Keeffe.

‘Artist encourage us to see things differently and show what we feel’

Learning moves from Representational to abstract with connections to a range of 20^th century movements including Cubism, The Futurists, Kandinsky & Abstract Expressionism. Extending understanding of expression in terms of shape & lines & colour and composition principles. Students develop own outcomes from interpretation of sound or feelings.

Year 9

Meanings are not always fixed – Identity

Exploring the theme of self & identity through critical research on artists such as Gillian Wearing, Grayson Perry, Frida Khalo & Kehinde Wiley. Students practice aspects of drawing facial features and then move onto produce their own ‘self’ outcomes work using mixed media and building on practice of art elements.

Art is Powerful – Street Art Voices

Students sketchbook work and critical analysis explores a range of issue focused artists such as Banksy, Basquiat & Keith Haring. Students learn about how art can be used to communicate important issues and are then encouraged to develop personal outcomes visually voicing an issue that is important to them.

Artist make & break conventions

Looking at the genre still life using the theme of Food to extend practice in wet media and observational skills in both longer and shorter tasks.

Creative Minds

Students are challenged through a range of one off or short learning experiences to develop their creative characteristics enabling them to build confidence in transferable habits of Envision, Actualise, Investigate, challenge & Innovate.

Design Technology Programme of Study

Textiles

Year 7 – Students spend 2 terms gaining knowledge of key techniques within the textiles classroom including use of the sewing machine, basic construction and decoration techniques. Students then apply these skills in a design situation and combine understanding of Art Element Colour and critical connections to Sonia Delaunay.

Year 8 - Students explore techniques from different cultures with surface decoration and techniques in – batik, tie dye and shibori. They then move on to a design brief looking at sports wear and critical connections made to Kente Fabrics.

Year 9 – Where students continue this learning they build on knowledge and practice of techniques and processes and are encouraged to produce more independent development of work, in line with GCSE and outcomes. These include art based exploration on the theme of Cells and brief led textile construction based on Eames Era and contemporary abstract print.

3D / Product Design

Year 7 - Students spend 2 terms gaining knowledge of key machinery & techniques and safe working practices within the workshop environment. Practical skills focus on timbers as well as knowledge of Designer, User, Maker. Students are introduced to CAD/CAM and how to apply this to a design task.

Year 8 – Students spend 2 terms developing their knowledge of practical skills. They use both Timbers & Plastics and the tools and equipment used to design and produce a high-quality item.

Year 9 – Where students continue this learning they will work closely with GCSE criteria as a foundation should they wish to continue at ks4. Students are encouraged to design and make a range of models using a range of 3D techniques including resistant materials. Students will build on practices of drawing to show form working in both traditional skills and CAD. Contextual connections to 20^th Design – Chairs & Architecture.

Graphics

Year 9 – Where students opt for this learning they will use both and traditional digital mediums to meet a range of design briefs for a specific audience which cover key principles in Graphic Communcation including typography, image making, and layout & composition.

Creative Minds – Bridging Learning in ADT

Year 10 & 11

Fine Art

2.5 Extended projects. Projects focus on recording in a range of ways through traditional mediums. The students then develop their own work exploring related artists and build the confidence to have their own style. Students work in sketchbooks & larger scale in a range of media.

Graphic Communication & Photography

Students explore design and illustration practices through drawing, collage, photography & digital. Students develop work and final outcomes / products from a creative brief, working in a way which suits their preferred style. Students learn the technical skills of digital SLR & bridge, creative photography & editing through Photoshop. Themes include: Nature, Texture, light, still life, everyday & film noir.

3D / Product Design

Brief led projects developing students experience in designing from 2D to 3D and using a range of sources as inspiration including 20^th Century designers such as Bauhaus. Students build on ks3 practice in resistant materials to design and build with a focus on products for the home. Students work in workshop and classroom spaces for a mix of practical work and evidencing on digital portfolios and use a variety of CAD/ CAM.

Textiles

2.5 Extended projects. Projects focus on recording & exploration using textiles, fibres, applied techniques. The students then develop their own work exploring related artists & designers and build the confidence to develop work in a range of outcomes including accessories, art textiles, fashion and home furnishing. Students work in sketchbooks & larger scale in a range of media.

Assessment

One to one verbal feedback is regular within lesson and at key points in skill practice. Students are assessed at the end of each project on their progress on the four key skills based on their prior ability and expected progress. An end of year project shows a holistic assessment of the students’ progress across the year. Progress is fed back, together with next steps, to the students through sketchbook marking and learning conversations. Students are also asked to regularly self-evaluate their skills and progress and set targets for their on improvement.

Homework

Homework is set in relation to programme themes with a range of short and longer tasks. These include pre-learning on key artists designers, movements or techniques. Spelling and knowledge revision. Recording & design tasks, which will be refined following teacher feedback or self-reflection, or outcomes where students have the opportunity to be creative and explore & generate. Students are encourage to be independent in their work and exploration but are welcome to use department resources to complete their ideas.