Art & Design Years 7 & 8

What you will study:

Art and Design develops students’ skills in a range of media, techniques and processes informed by use of a visual language. These are not just technical skills, but skills in seeing and expression from an aesthetic perspective. The subject also develops in students a historical and cultural perspective of a variety of visual art forms, including painting, print making, photography and sculpture. It explores ideas about what makes art aesthetically pleasing or satisfying, and it develops capacity for judging and explaining judgements, as well as being able to participate in broader philosophical conversations about, for example, what constitutes art. Art enables students to respond and create in a personal way.

 

All year 7 will be introduced to Art and Design through a series of foundation units following a thematic approach: research skills, ways of looking, observation skills, ways of working and using a visual language. Integral to the foundation units will be a core of learning skills particularly relevant to Art and Design, such as independent and group enquiry, experimenting with a range of media, techniques and processes and critical awareness. 2015/16 will focus on portraiture, encouraging the observation skills through drawing, sculpture and research skills. Students will explore ceramics and stone carving.

 

Multicultural: building on previous skills year 8 will develop skills with a range of printmaking techniques including lino, collagraphs and mono printing as well as digitally manipulating imagery. They will learn how to extend and develop ideas through card relief, photography and digital image manipulation. Students will be shown how to develop individual lines of enquiry by extending their research both individually and through group work. Time will be given to techniques in manipulating the visual elements and students will undertake specific design tasks. At the end of year 8 students should be able to use colour contrasts and tone, know some techniques of visual manipulation, work to a design brief and use simple construction techniques.

 

 

Art & Design GCSE AQA

What you will study:

GCSE Art will involve students working with a wide range of mediaand materials including painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics,sculpture and digital imagery and may include photography andanimation. Students will research a range of artists, designers and craftspeople and will use this information to inform the development of their own work. The course consists of two units of work; Unit 1 a body of coursework and Unit 2 an external assignment culminating in a timed controlled test. The coursework will be completed in Years 10 and 11. The preparation for the external assignment will start in February of Year 11 and the two day controlled test will take place in late April. This will be under exam conditions.

 

Year 9 will prepare for their GCSE by covering a broad range of skills, techniques and processes including drawing, design approaches, painting and photography. There will be links with the Dartmouth Music Festival as students produce canvases inspired by music. Students will be encouraged to develop their ideas on a more individual basis and distinguish between expressive, design and observation approaches. At the end of year 9 students should be able to discuss and justify their choice of media as well as articulate possible developments in their work. A range of media, techniques and processes will be used with increasing confidence and independence.

 

(AQA Specification) Unit 1: Students create a portfolio of work exploring a range of media, skills and techniques. They cover drawing, printing, painting, sculpture and photography. The thematic approach for 2015-16 is Identity. Students respond to the theme producing a sketchbook showing contextual links, recording of imagery, drawings and photographs. They develop ideas through experimentation with different media and design work.

 

Unit 2: A controlled test is undertaken at the end of the course when candidates are required to demonstrate their ability to respond to a given theme or idea and create an outcome within a 10 hour controlled period.

 

How you will be assessed:

60% coursework

40% external assignment

Unit 1 and Unit 2 will be assessed individually. Both units will need

to show evidence that all the Assessment Objectives are covered.

 

These are:

1) Develop ideas demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

2) Experimenting with media and processes, refining ideas as work develops.

3) Record in visual and other forms ideas and intentions.

4) Present a personal response, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.