Year 7

Autumn Term

Teaching is structured around the delivery of the Formal Elements of Art and Design; Line, Shape, Tone, Form, Colour, Texture and Pattern. Students are taught  individual elements through different creative and imaginative tasks. Contextual references are interwoven through these elements as students build a unit of work in their sketchbooks, concluding in a final outcome that demonstrates and solidifies their learning.

Spring Term

Using all that they have learnt in the first term, students work in and around 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 to accumulate and conclude in a cardboard construction project. This project enables students to experience and learn how to work and importantly design a final piece in three-dimensions with a painted finish. This project is supported with a much loved 4-6 week homework task to produce a creature made entirely from recycled materials.

Summer Term

Students conclude their year with the topic of Landscape. This unit encourages an exploration of  a diverse range of work from different artists who have been inspired by this theme. Students then focus and learn about artists that use stylised techniques to paint landscapes. Using the grid method they are given the opportunity to develop skills of drawing precisely and using materials such as watercolour or colouring pencils to complete a transcript or create a response  in the style of the artist.

Year 8

Autumn Term

Pupils begin the year focusing on learning how to accurately draw and apply tone.  Using the theme of Still-Life through a variation of objects, students are taught about drawing different forms. Work produced includes detailed observational drawing in tone and development work to variations of colouring pencil, paint or oil pastels. Contextual references are used throughout and go on to determine the direction of the project for the final outcome.

Spring Term 

Introducing the title of Flora students' work from images and objects to produce creative and imaginative ideas on the theme. Using a variety of artists through time as the foundational starting point, we continue to build on their high quality drawing skills from the first term. Studies continue to solidify their learning and move from realistic to stylised flora focusing on texture, colour, shape and form. Students build on this and design and make a three-dimensional clay project that focuses on a range of construction methods and painting techniques to finish and refine their work. 

Summer Term

Finally students focus broadly on the topic of People. Work produced includes observational drawing, the development of imaginative ideas, exploration of dry materials and artistic styles.

At the end of year 8 boys make their choices for GCSE.

Key Stage 4

Year 9- Year 11 

Early start GCSE.

Year 9 

The first two terms of the year are used for students to experience, explore and develop an understanding about a broad range of different materials/techniques and their properties through a series of small projects. The aim is to broaden their knowledge base and continue to build and strengthen their skills from KS3, so as to prepare students fully for the GCSE course requirements. Some areas covered include: experimental drawing, observational drawing,  mixed media, watercolour,  printmaking, lino, intaglio and mono, collage, 3D design; wire and clay sculpture. 

Towards the end of the year students begin looking more deeply into artists surrounding their theme, completing transcripts and responses to their work and working in earnest toward their GCSE coursework. 

Year 10 

Students continue to work with the Art and Design departments chosen theme of coursework up until the Spring Term. Once this has been completed, students pick their own theme to look at and develop another project, following the Edexcel exam guidelines. 

Year 11

Students complete their personal projects and in the Spring term are issued their Exam component by the Edexcel exam board.

Students study an Un-Endorsed GCE in Art and Design. Within this general course they will cover aspects of Fine Art including; mixed media, drawing, painting and print-making, 3D design, sculptures, 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 portfolio of work that demonstrates student’s 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 techniques.  Additionally they will complete contextual research related to particular areas of interest. The theme for the unit, set by the department, is a research based project loosely based around the topic of London. Students use their own photographic and gallery research to build and develop their personal take on the theme. 

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

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 15 hour controlled period where students produce an unaided significant piece of work. (40% of the full A Level).

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 workstations, digital cameras, image manipulation software, a dark room, light-boxes and graphic tablets. It is well stocked with visual resources and a wide collection of reference books, with further supplements of art books in the school library. Both rooms are set up for 3D and 2D work, including print-making, clay, plaster, paint and mixed-media.

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)

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 in the past has visited Tate Modern and more recently Kew Gardens to develop work from the collection and to gather information, photography and develop understanding about artists pertinent to their own studies.

The department runs a biyearly residential trip abroad. Previous trips for Key Stage 4 and 5 have included Vienna and New York.  This includes visits to the excellent museums and galleries each city offers as well as exploring many cultural sights. 

We give students opportunities to experience and broaden their knowledge of the arts and creative industries through lecture programmes at the Institute of Education which has, over the past few years, included talks by Anthony Gormley, Cornelia Parker and Quentin Blake.

We endeavour to invite artists and designers to deliver workshops at school to help expand and enrich student’s learning experience. In the past we have had courses on solar printmaking and photography which has supported both GCSE and A Level students. 

The Tate - Student Resource Guide