Art and design education develops basic skills, encourages visual awareness and is fundamental to intellectual growth and creative self-expression.
We, at Chetwynde School, foster our students’ perception of both their real and imagined worlds through a balanced and sequential programme.
The goals of art and design education at Chetwynde School are to aid each pupil to the full extent of his or her abilities to:
Perception
Perceive and understand relationships among the elements and principles of design as they appear in the natural and man-made environment.
Appreciation
Develop an interest and appreciation of the visual arts through the study of cultures and historical periods in which they are created.
Knowledge
Develop a working knowledge of the language of art and an understanding of the relationship of the visual arts to other fields of knowledge.
Creativity
Think and act creatively by solving problems and by responding with originality, flexibility, fluency, and imagination.
Skills
Develop technical skills for using art mediums as a means of personal expression and communication.
Critique
Students are encouraged to be positively critical of themselves and others in a constructive manner. Make aesthetic judgements about the environment, works of art, and other man-made forms or objects.
Curriculum
Art and design stimulate creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding and responding to the world. Pupils use colour, form, texture, pattern and different materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think. Through art and design activities, they learn to make informed value judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions, becoming actively involved in shaping environments.
Pupils explore ideas and meanings in the work of artists, craftspeople and designers. They learn about the diverse roles and functions of art, craft and design in contemporary life, and in different times and cultures. Understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts have the power to enrich our personal and public lives. Post-Key Stage 3 Pupils develop their creativity and imagination through sustained activities. These help them to build on and improve their practical and critical skills and to extend their knowledge and experience of materials, processes and practices further. They engage confidently with art, craft and design in the contemporary world and from different times and cultures. They become more independent in using the visual language to communicate their own ideas, feelings and meanings.
Disciplines available within the Art/Design Department include:
- Drawing and Painting
- Sculpture
- Photography and Film
- Textiles
- Printmaking
- Graphics, computer graphics and animation
Art Department Assessment and Marking
Marking is one of the key processes by which we may continually evaluate how a pupil is progressing in our subject area. As a Department, we aim to mark pupils’ work with consistency and regularity, in order that we may monitor how individuals and classes are performing in Art.
We, as a Department, also recognise that if we are to encourage pupils to grow in self-confidence and develop an enthusiasm for our subject area, we should also ensure that our marking remains positive and, where possible, provide guidance as to how pupils may improve upon their performance.
The Departmental Marking Policy actively reflects the School’s REACT marking policy.
We aim to:
-
a) To provide clear information for pupils, parents and staff of academic progress in Art.
-
b) To assist staff in comparing individual pupils’ achievements against expectations.
-
c) To give regular feedback to pupils, enabling them to be more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses in Art.
-
d) To improve pupils’ performance in Art.
Key Stage 4 GCSE Art: Exam Board AQA Art, Craft & Design
Course Description
The AQA Art, Craft & Design course encourages students to explore a wide range of art-making, from traditional drawing through to contemporary computer-assisted artwork. Students’ understanding of art-making is enhanced by trips to galleries and museums, as well as artist-led workshops. The GCSE course consists of two units; a Portfolio (60%) and an externally set task (40%)
Unit 1: Art Craft & Design Portfolio - A portfolio that in total shows explicit coverage of the four assessment objectives. It must include a sustained project evidencing the journey from initial engagement to the realisation of intentions and a selection of further work undertaken during the student’s course of study.
All projects are based on the development of ideas from observational drawing through to individual responses. Students will explore a wide variety of materials, media and processes while developing their drawing, analytical and critical thinking skills.
Unit 2: Externally Set Assignment - Students respond to their chosen starting point from an externally set assignment paper relating to their subject title, evidencing coverage of all four assessment objectives. At the beginning of January, students select one question from the paper set by AQA. Students will be given a preparatory period with teacher guidance followed by a supervised ten-hour controlled test to complete their personal response.
Further Study and Careers
A2 Level Art follows naturally from GCSE Art and can lead to careers in graphic design, advertising, architecture, teaching, film-making and fine art.
The study of Art and Design develops many transferable skills such as problem-solving, as well as analytical and creative thinking. These skills are extremely helpful for higher-level study and in future employment.
If you wish to view the GCSE specification and assessment objectives please see the attached file below.
If you wish to the view the 9-1 level descriptors please see the document below.
Enrichment Opportunities
- Art Club for KS3 - Doodle Club - run at lunchtimes
- GCSE Club Lunchtimes and after school x 2 weekly (on set days)
- Annual visits for KS3 and GCSE to Tate Liverpool and London
- Trips to New York and Dubai
Meet the Department
Mrs C Strafford
Post Graduate Diploma in Education
PGCE Secondary Art Education
BA Hons Fine Art
Mrs Strafford is a working artists, Mrs Strafford specialises in acrylic ink/mixed media paintings alongside digital drawing.
Follow the Art Department @ChetwyndeArt