Art Department

Art Department

Aims of the Art Department

To develop imagination and equip students with the tools to express themselves creatively through Art and Design.

To develop self-confidence and raise self esteem through Art.

To foster the love of Art and Design as an involvement for life, both as critic and creator.

To enable students to understand and appreciate the educational, historical, social and cultural role of Art and Design.

To raise awareness of cultural issues and encourage empathy and respect for diversity within the community in which they live.

Staffing

Ms KJ Mihailovic (Head of Art, Deputy Head of Expressive Arts Faculty)
Ms K Stark (Teacher P/T)
Ms G Waller (Teacher P/T)

Facilities

The Art Department is housed in three multi-purpose rooms situated on the first floor of the school. Each art room is equipped with ceramics facilities and there is a photographic darkroom adjoining one of the other rooms. Art reference books are stored in all three rooms in addition to the Art sections in the school libraries.

KS3 Introduction

The students work from themed projects that are designed to cover the requirements of the National Curriculum and are tailored to suit the needs of a particular class or individual.

There are six units of work in Key Stage 3 based on the universal themes of:

1. Environments- Natural and/or Made

2. The Abstract- Form and/or Meaning

3. Flora and Fauna

4. Events- Personal, Communal or Historical

5. The Fantastic and Strange- Myths, Metamorphosis and Dreams

6. Cross Curricular Performance Project incorporating the Human Figure- Identity and/ or Relationships

These themes offer a broad context in which projects can be designed to include aspects of the students' development in the following areas: academic, social, personal, physical, vocational, aesthetic awareness, spiritual and moral development.

KS4 Introduction

The school offers the AQA Expressive Arts GCSE, a combined arts course as well as the EDEXCEL GCSE Art and Design course. Both courses are adapted by the art department to meet the particular needs of our students. The processes and procedures taught such as visual research are common to all projects and skills gained in these areas are accumulative. Some of the basic elements and practices of art and design, such as colour work and drawing are common to all projects whilst others provide the main focus of a particular project for example, printmaking.

KS5 Introduction

The school offers GCE Art and Design Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced level courses in the Sixth Form. These courses are designed to form part of an educational continuum which progresses naturally from GCSE and is intended to meet the needs of the following groups of candidates.

i) Those who will undertake further studies in Art and Design
ii) Those who will study subjects or take up careers for which an Art and Design background is relevant.
iii) Those who whilst having interest and aptitude in the subject are not intending to study the subject beyond A/S or A2 level.

The syllabus builds upon existing good practice in the school, and it is expected that candidates who have not achieved a GCSE in Art and Design will have followed an Art and Design course at some time in their secondary school career. The examination consists of two units for A/S followed by two more for A2 which are internally assessed and externally moderated.

Special Features

The department enjoys working on cross-curricular projects with other departments within the school and also local organisations, and individual visiting artists. During 2008, Gilly Waller organised a very successful animation project involving an animator, two year 8 classes and a Year 6 primary school class. They produced an animation based on ‘The Mexican Day of the Dead’ which can be seen on this web-site. The successful Year 9 combined arts performance project that took place in the summer term of 2008 involved each Year 9 class working closely with a set and costume designer over a period of three months. This academic year the department is working on a ‘Creative Connection’s’ Partnership with the Whitechapel Art Gallery involving workshops with a sound artist and an A/S and Year 8 group. The department is also involved with the Tate Britain on a ‘TIPI’ project. As well as this the department looks forward to hosting another animation project and participation in the Year 9 performance project this year.