As a department we aim:

• To enable self-expression through the education of intellect and feeling.
• To provide the students with the opportunities to work in all the major modes of art and design practice.
• To enable students to explore their own aptitudes and abilities.
• To develop the students’ understanding of the work of others in the various disciplines.
• To help students acquire understanding, knowledge and skills relevant to further studies and adult life.
• To encourage and develop personal and moral values.
• To stimulate awareness, understanding and the use of visual language and
• to cultivate keener observation and an inquiring mind.
• To encourage the development of practical skills and techniques in a wide variety of media. We recognise drawing as a core skill and will emphasise this in our teaching strategies.
• To develop the students’ discriminatory skills and knowledge related to the environment, the design aspect of everyday objects and the communications media.
• To stimulate and develop the ability to identify and solve problems using appropriate materials and methods.
• Through an aesthetic education, to encourage an understanding of the role and significance of art, design and craft in our society both past and present.
• To encourage students to use imagination in expressing their ideas, emotions and feelings in their work and develop the ability communicate these in a visual and tactile way.

KEY STAGE 3

We believe that observational, analytical recording with drawing and graphic media is an essential part of the art and design experience and the class teacher must ensure that students explore the visual language through a variety of media every year. It is also important that students produce work in both two and three dimensions and investigate fine-art and design every year and that appropriate contextual work is used to complement and enhance the students’ understanding and appreciation of their own work.

GCSE

Our students sit the CCEA GCSE. The course requirements are:

Unit 1. Coursework 60%
Unit 2. ESA 40%

• During the single period each week students will have a formal assessment. All recent work must be brought in. This will take the form of guided negotiation and the teacher and all pupils will be involved.
• At the end of each unit the student, with the guidance of the class teacher should complete a self-assessment sheet. This will help the student understand the GCSE criteria.
• Each GCSE class will display their work during their parent – teacher meeting. This will give the teacher and parents something tangible to look at and assess. It will also give the student another deadline.
• There will be an exhibition of work at the end of term one and term three in year 11 and again at the end of term one in year 12. These exhibitions will be cross-moderated to ensure consistency of marking within the department. This will help students and staff to prepare for the GCSE exhibition at the end of the course.

A LEVEL

Our students sit the CEA AS and A2. The course requirements are:

Unit 1. AS Coursework Portfolio 30%
Unit 2. AS ESA 20%
Unit 3. A2 Personal investigation 30%
Unit 4. A2 ESA 20%

• During the single period each week students will have a formal assessment. This will take the form of guided negotiation and the teacher and all pupils will be involved.
• At the end of a unit of work each student will complete a self-assessment sheet based on the specification.
• It is recommended that at regular intervals during his course, every student will have the opportunity to exhibit his work. This will be subject to group criticism. The A’ Level class will exhibit as a group at the end of each unit, for parent-teacher meetings and other students.