Art, Craft and Design


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Course Overview: Art Craft & Design

Art, Craft and Design is a vibrant and creative subject where students have the opportunity to work with a variety of different media and are able to express themselves through their work. This includes both 2D and 3D work using media such as drawing, painting, print, clay and sculpture.  All work produced responds to the four key assessment objectives.

Year 7


Half Term 1

Term 1 - Drawing Techniques: During this project students will develop their fundamental drawing skills, learning how to correctly hold and use a pencil to create different lines and techniques. Students will learn key drawing terminology such as hatching and scumbling. Students will learn how to draw what they see rather than what they think. (Observational)

Students will self and peer assess their work throughout the project, using key terminology.

Half Term 2

Term 1- Observational drawing: During this half term students will continue to develop their fundamental drawing skills, learning how to apply texture and tone correctly. Students will learn how to draw what they see rather than what they think.   Students will imitate techniques used by artists studied. Students will self and peer assess their work throughout the project, using key terminology.  At the end of this project, students will have created an observational drawing of their own soft toy, focusing on proportion, detail, tone and texture.

Half Term 3

Term 2 – Colour Theory: During this project students will study Itten’s colour wheel. Students will be able to understand and identify key art terms such as primary, secondary and tertiary colours. Students will develop their painting skills, learning how to control their paintbrush and how to create different colours, tints, tones and shades. Students will investigate the art of David Hockney, learning how to research and analyse art works.

Half Term 4

Term 2- Colour Practical: Building on the painting skills acquired in the previous half term, each student will create their own painting of a tree, utilising all the skills they have developed and trialled.

Students will self and peer assess their work throughout the project, using key terminology.

Half Term 5

Term 3 - Islamic Art: During this project, students will learn about the art and beliefs of Islam. Pupils will develop their mathematical drawing skills, learning how to create geometric and symmetrical patterns. Students will learn key art and mathematical terminology and be able to apply these terms to their own work.

Half Term 6

Term 3 - Islamic Art: Students will apply the key skills acquired in the first half term of the project and will create their own Islamic-style pattern.

Students will be introduced to blending and rendering.

Some students will then create their own polyblock print based on their A3 design.

Year 8


Half Term 1

Term 1 - Mexican Folk Art: During this project, students will learn about Mexican folk art, focusing on the art and culture of the Mayan civilisation. Students will develop their fundamental drawing and designing skills.

Students will learn key art terminology and be able to apply these terms to their own work.  Students will self and peer assess, annotating the progression of their work.

Half Term 2

Term 1 - Mexican Folk Art: During this half term students will continue to learn about Mexican folk art, focusing on the art and culture of the Mayan civilisation. Pupils will be introduced to the medium of clay, creating a 3D ceramic tile. Pupils will learn further key art terminology and be able to apply these terms to their own 3D work. Students will self and peer assess, annotating the progression of their work.

Half Term 3

Term 2 – Insect Drawing: During this project, students will develop their fundamental drawing skills, learning how to correctly hold and use a biro pen to create different lines, textures and tones. Students will develop their understanding of key drawing terminology such as hatching and scumbling. Pupils will learn how to draw what they see rather than what they think, drawing from observation.  Students will experiment with further media such as paint and produce further observational studies.

Half Term 4

Term 2 – Insect Drawing: During this half term, students will continue to develop and utilise their fundamental drawing skills, and will create an observational drawing of an insect, focusing on proportion, detail, tone and texture.  Students will be inspired by their linked artist (Kim Young Sung) and will analyse his work in detail.  Students will self and peer assess, annotating the progression of their work.

Half Term 5

Term 3 – Natural Forms: Students will create focused drawings of shells in a variety of media.

During this project, students will also learn how to transfer their drawing skills to a new topic of study – (natural forms) and to a new media (pastel).

Students will be introduced to the medium of pastel and will learn how to draw and blend with pastel, still utilising and building on their observational drawing skills.

Students will self and peer assess, annotating the progression of their work.

Half Term 6

Term 3 – Natural Forms: During this project, students will utilise their pastel drawing skills and will produce enlarged studies of natural forms, such as seedpods.

Students will analyse the work of artists who have used the same theme within their work.(E.g. Land Artists)

Some students will produce an extension task- land art photography response.

Course Overview: Art Craft & Design

Art, Craft and Design is a vibrant and creative subject where students have the opportunity to work with a variety of different media and are able to express themselves through their work. This includes both 2D and 3D work using media such as drawing, painting, print, clay and sculpture.

During Key Stage 3, students will learn the formal elements and then will build upon this knowledge during Key Stage 4, following the AQA GCSE course. Students will learn about a variety of different artists and craftspeople, from more traditional to contemporary.

Art is a popular subject and we offer many activities outside of lesson time, including clubs and trips to galleries and colleges, to further develop the skills, passion and creativity of our young people.

Year 9

Half Term 1

Term 1- Natural Forms/Flowers and Plants: Techniques

Students will build on their portfolio of images created during the educational visit to Williamson Park and the work produced during the summer, of the set tasks.

Students will complete a series of media workshops linked to the artist Georgia O’Keeffe.  These will include pencil, pen and edited photography.

Students will analyse the work of O’ and Morris.

Students will complete a self and peer assessment, annotating the progress with their work.

Half Term 2

Term 1- Natural Forms/Flowers and Plants: Techniques

Students will build on their portfolio of images created during the educational visit to Williamson Park, the work produced during the summer, of the set tasks, and the work produced in half term 1.

Students wil practice tints, tones and shades, working from their own photographs.

Students will complete a series of media workshops linked to the artist Georgia O’.  These will include watercolour, paint, pencil, pen and edited photography.

Students will develop brush techniques, application of paint, applying detail and producing work in the style of Georgia O’.

Students will complete a self and peer assessment, annotating the progress with their work.

Half Term 3

Term 2 - Natural Forms/Flowers and Plants: Techniques

Students will develop their painting trials, working to a larger scale in a semi-abstract style.  Students will trial different surfaces to paint on eg canvas.

Students will be introduced to the work of Morris in more detail and will analyse his work on a deeper level.

Students will complete a series of media workshops linked to the artist William Morris.  These will include prints and edited photographs influenced by the style of Morris’ design work.

Half Term 4

Term 2 - Natural Forms/Flowers and Plants: Techniques

Students will design clay tiles linked to both artists and their own photographs.

Students will complete a 3D workshop, creating a tile linked to the artist William Morris or Georgia O%APOSTROPHE%, after developing decorative techniques.

Half Term 5

Term 3 - Natural Forms/Flowers and Plants: Techniques

Students will complete a 3D workshop, creating a tile linked to the artist William Morris or Georgia O’.  Some students will develop their own work further and create a 3D coil/slab pot decorated using clay decorative techniques.

Half Term 6

Term 3 – Identity: Introduction to a sustained project based around the theme of Identity, influenced by artists such as Chuck Close, Loui Jover, Roy Lichtenstein.

Students will focus on drawing facial features using a variety of media in preparation for future Identity response. This will include; pencil, sharpies, pen, print, charcoal and pastel.

Students will analyse the work of Pop Artists, producing their own written response with possibe inspirational links.

Year 10

Half Term 1

Natural Forms/Flowers and Plants: Techniques

Term 1 (Cohort 2019-2021)

Continued from summer project, students will produce a body of work around the theme of natural forms. Students will build on their portfolio of images created during the educational visit to Williamson Park and the work produced during the summer, of the set tasks.

Students will complete a series of media workshops linked to the artist Georgia O’.  These will include watercolour, pastel, paint, clay, pencil, pen, prints and edited photography. Students will analyse O’s work.

Students will analyse the work of William Morris and develop design ideas inspired by his work.

Students will complete a self and peer assessment, annotating the progress with their work.

Half Term 2

Term 1 - N. Forms: Students will complete a clay tile / series of tiles based on their own designs inspired by their own photography and artists of study.

Term 1 – Identity (November)

Introduction to a sustained project based around the theme of Identity, influenced initially by artists such as Chuck Close, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

Students will focus on drawing facial features using a variety of media in preparation for future Identity response, linkke to aforementioned artists. 

Students will design a clay tile based on a ’Art Eye’ influenced by sourced artists and possibly edited photographs.  

Students will complete analyses of Warhol%APOSTROPHE%s work.

Half Term 3

Term 2 – Identity:

Development of a sustained project based around the theme of Identity, influenced by artists such as Chuck Close, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

Students will continue to experiment with styles and techniques linked to one of the artists aforementioned, drawing inspiration from their work.

Half Term 4

Term 2 – Identity:

Students will complete a drawing of their chosen person they admire, practising facial features using a variety of media, for example;

Pencil, pen, pastel, pencil crayon, watercolour, marker pen, print, acetate

Half Term 5

Term 3  – Identity:

Students will prepare paper cuts and drawings in preparation for college workshops.  These will involve acetate printing and screen printing.

Half Term 6

Term 3  – Identity:

Additional AO4 final outcomes – students will complete a response(s) which showcases the student’s BEST area of study.

This could be linked to Portraiture or development into another area of ’Identity’ pertinent to them / their interests / beliefs.  For example; hobbies, idols, politics, religion, social pressures, their locality.

Year 11

Half Term 1

Term 1: Portfolio - Students will develop their sustained project of work: Identity. Students will ensure all feedback has been acted on in order to attain their optimum grade.

Students may produce additional work to further secure grade.

Half Term 2

Term 1: Portfolio - Students will develop their sustained project of work: Identity. Students will ensure all feedback has been acted on in order to attain their optimum grade.

Students may produce additional work to further secure grade.

Half Term 3

Term 2: Component 2: Externally set assignment

The externally set assignment will be available to students and teachers from 2nd January. Students will receive an exam paper with seven different starting points. Students must select one starting point from which to produce their creative response.The preparation period begins in January totalling approximately 15 weeks of prep time.  This is followed by 10 hours of supervised unaided work in which students are required to realise their intentions. Students must not undertake any further preparatory studies once the first period of supervised time starts.

Half Term 4

Term 2: Component 2: Externally set assignment

The externally set assignment will be available to students and teachers from 2nd January. Students will receive an exam paper with seven different starting points. Students must select one starting point from which to produce their creative response.The preparation period begins in January totalling approximately 15 weeks of prep time.  This is followed by 10 hours of supervised unaided work in which students are required to realise their intentions. Students must not undertake any further preparatory studies once the first period of supervised time starts.


Course Components

Component 1: Portfolio (60% of Total GCSE): Students will produce a portfolio of work which will compromise of a series of media experimentations including print, pastel, paint, pencil, ceramics and photography, based on the theme “flowers and plants/Natural Forms”. Students will document their journey, including artistic influences and analysis of work.  This work will contribute to all 4 of the Assessment Objectives.

 Students will then produce a sustained project based on the theme of %APOSTROPHE%Identity%APOSTROPHE%, which will comprise of a series of studies using a variety of media including print, paint and pencil leading up to final outcomes of portraiture work or work in response to the theme “Identity”.  Students will create a portfolio that in total shows explicit coverage of the four assessment objectives.

The course will contain 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.

Component 2: Externally set assignment (40% of Total GCSE)

The externally set assignment will be available to students and teachers from 2nd January. Students will receive an exam paper with seven different starting points. Students must select one starting point from which to produce their creative response.

The preparation period begins in January totalling approximately 15 weeks of prep time.  This is followed by 10 hours of supervised unaided work in which students are required to realise their intentions. Students must not undertake any further preparatory studies once the first period of supervised time starts.

Course Information

Course Name: ART AND DESIGN
Qualification Type: GCSE
Awarding Body: AQA
Specification code: 8201

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After school clubs are provided for keen students who wish to stretch their abilities. Catch up and support is also offered on a one to one basis where necessary. Some of the support sessions, clubs and activities offered are:

  • Wednesday lunch - Art Club in Art 1
  • Wednesday after school - GCSE Catch up until 4.15pm in Art 1
  • Thursday lunch - Art / Craft Club in Art 1 & 2
  • Thursday after school - Art Club until 4.15pm in Art 1
  • Thursday after school - Knit, Natter and Craft Club until 4.15pm in Art 1