Art

Aims

Art encourages self-expression and creativity and develops critical thinking. It has the potential to build our pupils’ confidence and their sense of individual identity (The Tate). It can be an expressive tool to support the mental health and wellbeing of our pupils.

https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/services-for-schools/the-art-room/

A high-quality art and design curriculum engages, inspires and challenges our pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to:

Experiment
Invent
Create

As pupils progress, they can think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They learn know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity, and wealth of our communities.

We aim to do this by teaching fundamental skills in mark making, colour theory, analysis and creating personal response work to art topics and themes. Our pupils research artists and styles of art and are introduced to art history at the start of each unit.

Year 7 students compete in creating student planner cover and practice skills of still art drawing on a cross curricular visit to the botanical gardens. Year 8 student make creative Eid cards as part of a community care package. KS3 students are selected for Artist of the Month Award, encouraging them to develop their unique style and interpretation.

Overview of our Art curriculum

Please click to view the curriculum map

Students research art forms and artists at the start of their units. Our students develop independent research skills, analysis and evaluative skills. They use their in-depth understanding of the topic to produce work and critically assess each other’s work. Consequently, they are inspired to develop their own style.

Art lessons have several cross-curricular links; history, geography, mental health and wellbeing, literacy and mathematics, and study of different perspectives in buildings, architectures and grid methods.

We expose students to artists from various ethnic backgrounds, neurodiversity and disabilities as well art forms from around the world, such as Islamic art, aboriginal art and African Art. Students explore mental health and wellbeing through study of Van Gogh and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.