Art
The department offers a broad based curriculum in Art, Craft and Design that provides students with the opportunity to work in both two and three dimensions and across a wide range of media, techniques and processes.
Projects draw on student’s personal experiences, their immediate surroundings, first-hand observation and their own imaginations.
Key Stage 3
Year 7
Term 1 Teaching is structured around the delivery of the Basic Elements of Art and Design; Line, Tone, Form, Colour, Pattern and Texture. Students are made aware of the individual elements through different creative and imaginative tasks. Contextual references are introduced which reference these elements and a unit of sketchbook work and a final outcome demonstrate the learning.
Term 2 Introducing the Title of Fantastical and Strange, students work from the theme of Fauna to explore the shapes, patterns and colours of different creatures. They complete drawings from secondary sources and produce a range of creative and imaginative ideas for a 'hybrid' creature heads. This is a 3D project and additionally it is a recycling project, final 3D heads are constructed from found materials and painted. Classwork is supported by a 4-6 week homework task to produce a creature made entirely from re-cycled materials.
Term 3 The theme of the term is Landscape and in this unit students are encouraged to explore a diverse range of work from different artists who have been inspired by this theme. Completing a Transcription from a chosen artists work they then are given greater freedom in the materials they select to produce their own work in response to the landscape theme.
Year 8
Term 1 Introducing the title of either Flora (flower heads) or Fauna (insects and bugs) students' work from images and objects to produce creative and imaginative ideas on one of the two themes. The development of high quality drawing skills is a focus and work developed from these studies explores, colour, texture and form. Final outcomes
are created in clay using a range of construction methods.
Term 2 The theme of this unit is Still-Life and using groups of objects, students are taught about the construction of different forms. Work produced includes detailed observational drawing in tone and development work in either paint or oil pastel. The introduction of contextual references determines the direction of the project and the final outcome.
Term 3 During this term students work from one of two themes: The Figure or Pattern. Work produced includes observational drawing, the development of imaginative ideas, exploration of materials and print-making.
At the end of year 8 boys make their choices for GCSE.
Key Stage 4
Year 9
Early start GCSE.
The first two terms of the year are divided into blocks of 6-8 weeks giving boys opportunities to experience, explore and develop an understanding about a broad range of different materials/techniques and their properties. The aim is to broaden their knowledge base and to prepare students fully for the GCSE course requirements. Areas covered include: print making,; lino, intaglio, mono and collograph, collage, 3D design; wire, papier-mache, mod roc and card.
In the third term, explorations into different drawing techniques will provide a starting point for the full GCSE course
Key Stage 4
Examination Board: Edexcel
Controlled assessment: 60%.
Externally Set Assignment: 40%
The GCSE Art course offered provides students with a wide range of exciting and stimulating creative opportunities
to explore their interests in art and design that are personally relevant and developmental in nature.
The Unendorsed Course in Art and Design, allows students to work in a broad range of 2D and/or 3D processes including new media and technologies. There is a significant focus on photography and students will be encouraged to use photography to collect first hand research, and to explore and develop ideas through digital photography and image manipulation. They will be expected during the course to produce practical and contextual work associated with two or more of the options listed below:
ART and DESIGN (FINE ART) including
DRAWING/PAINTING, MIXED MEDIA, SCULPTURE, LAND ART, PRINTMAKING, LENS or LIGHT BASED MEDIA
ART and DESIGN (PHOTOGRAPHY) including
THEME BASED PHOTOGRAPHY, EXPERIMENTAL IMAGERY, NEW MEDIA PRACTICE
ART and DESIGN (3D DESIGN) including
CERAMICS, SCULPTURE, BODY ADORNMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL ART, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
ART and DESIGN (GRAPHICS) including
ILLUSTRATION, COMPUTER GRAPHICS, LENS or LIGHT BASED MEDIA, ADVERTISING
ART and DESIGN (Textiles) including
PRINTED and/or DYED FABRICS, CONSTRUCTED and/or STITCHED or EMBELLISHED TEXTILES, FASHION or COSTUME
CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT ( formally - coursework) : During the GCSE course, students will complete two units of work including various forms of development and then final outcomes. (45 hours of controlled assessment will be completed under normal classroom supervision).
Key Stage 5
Students study an Un-Endorsed GCE in Art and Design. Within this general course they will cover aspects of Fine Art including; sculpture, drawing and painting and print-making, 3D design, Textiles, Photography and Graphic Design. They can choose to specialise in one particular discipline or alternatively, to work across a range of disciplines or materials.
The A level consists of 2 units of work:
Personal Investigation - Unit 1
This is a negotiated portfolio of work that demonstrates students ability to research, develop, explore, and analyse ideas. Students will undertake an induction period where they will be introduced or re-introduced to a broad range of different materials and practises. Additionally they will complete contextual research related to particular areas of interest. The theme for the unit is set by the department and is a research based project based initially around London, set over the summer holiday, comprising of photographic and gallery research around the city in its broadest sense.
In the Summer Term of year 12 and through to the start of the Spring Term of year 13 students will take a more independent path and develop their Personal Investigation further and effectively conclude a piece of work in a discipline(s) of their choice. (60% of the full A level).
Externally set assignment – Unit 4
This is set by the exam board and papers will be issued in February of year 13. Students will be given a 10 week preparatory period running up to the exam. In this time they will complete preliminary research and studies supported by the department. The final exam is a 20 hour controlled period where students produce an unaided significant piece of work. (40% of the full A Level).
Resources The department is very well resourced with two dedicated rooms together with a Sixth-Form study area. There is excellent access to IT, including computer work stations, digital cameras, image manipulation software, two data projectors and graphics tablets.
The department is well stocked with visual resources and a wide collection of reference books. (The library additionally has an excellent collection of art books.) Both rooms are set up for 3D and 2D work, including print-making, clay, plaster, paint and mixed-media.
Exams & Assessment
GCSE
Examination Board: Edexcel
Controlled assessment: 60%.
Externally Set Assignment: 40%
A-LEVEL
Examination Board: Edexcel
Externally set assignment – Unit 4 (40% of the full A Level)
Personal Investigation - Unit 1(60% of the full A level).
Enrichment & Extra-curricular
The department offers two weekly Art clubs providing students with opportunities to complete homework, to develop and/or complete class-work or to work on self-directed projects.
Visits
In year 8 boys are offered the opportunity to visit the Warner Bros. Studios at Leavesden. This visit offers boys the chance to understand the breadth of careers on offer in The Arts and also to understand more about the making of the Harry Potter films.
In year 9 the department visits the Tate Modern to develop work from the collection and to gather information and develop understanding about artists pertinent to their own studies.
The department runs a biennial trip to New York for Key Stage 4 and 5. This includes visits to the Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and cultural highlights such as Ellis Island, the Chrysler Building and a sporting event such as ice hockey.
A visit to The Henry Moore Foundation in Perry Green, Hertfordshire is also run biannually and this includes visits to his work studios, gallery space, sculpture garden and includes a tour guide to develop students understanding of Moore’s artistic journey as a world renowned artist; sculptor and printmaker.
We have in the past taken part in a creative lectures programme at the Institute of Education which has, over the past few years, included talks by Anthony Gormley, Cornelia Parker and Quentin Blake.
Each year, over the past four, we have invited in an artist printmaker to deliver workshops in Solar Printing. Sheila De Rosa delivers an exciting day bridging the processes of photography and printmaking through a hands on printmaking day which supports ongoing coursework for both GCSE and A Level students.
In addition to this, the department exhibits work each summer at the Mall Galleries in London as part of The National Students’ Art Competition.
