Art
Why Students Thrive in Art
In Art and Design students explore a range of themes, learning how to experiment so they can develop their own creative and imaginative style, producing personal final outcomes.
In Art and Design we aim to develop students’ creativity, independence and cultural capital. We equip them with the practical skills and critical understanding of the context of artworks so that they can effectively use visual language.
We employ a range of pedagogical approaches and support to address the needs of all students, adapting our curriculum to meet their needs so they can effectively explore their world and fully realising their creative potential. We succeed in doing this by providing every student with a safe space to explore their creativity and individuality. We have a rich and broad curriculum investigating artists from a range of cultures that explore a variety of styles and themes from the Foundation years all the way to A Level.
We explore Arts connections throughout society especially it links to literature and History. We focus on evolving students’ creative thinking skills so that they can develop, experiment and record their observations, reflecting in a meaning full way on their work. We understand that there are a broad range of pathways linked to the creative industries but aim to give students the skills so that they are prepared for the next stage of their life.
Foundation Years: Year 7 and 8
Year 7
During their time at Oakwood Park Grammar School students will be given a strong foundation in art skills. In the foundation year students will be introduced to the formal elements and cement their drawing skills, learning how to record accurately observing the fine details in their work and applying tone. Students will also learn about the range of diverse materials artists use and how to use them effectively including drawing, painting, and 3D materials. While exploring these materials they will refine their techniques through practice and exploring how a range of diverse artists manipulate materials to explore their themes. Students will develop their art vocabulary and learn how to analyse artwork, their own and others and build confidence in talking about work critically. As students engage in the projects, they will be encouraged to create personalised final pieces developing their own independence.
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Pop Art
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Students will be introduced to the Formal Elements – Shape, form, line tone, pattern, texture, colour and they will explore how they can be used in Art and design.
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Students will begin t develop their understanding of observational drawing including their use line, tone, texture and proportion.
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Students will explore the work of Roy Lichenstein and his use of colour and mark making using Thinking Hard techniques, giving them a developing knowledge of Pop Art.
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Students will explre the style of Roy Lichenstein experimenting with primary colours, mark making and felt tips.
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Students will explore 3D relief creating their own Lichtenstein create their own onomatopoeia words.
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Students will explore painting on to a 3D surface investigating mixing their own colours and applying paint to create Lichenstein style patterns.
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Students will investigate the wrk of Kieth Haring using Thinking Hard techniques exploring his political art works
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Students will design their wn environmental piece of art in Keith Haring’s style
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Students will create a final Pp Art Piece with an environmental message in materials of their choice.
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Portraiture
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Students will continue to develop their observational drawing skills.
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Students will explore the use of mark-making in a range of materials to develop individualistic style.
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Students will explore the work of Nelson Makamo and his use of mark making.
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Students will consider how to observe proportions and different techniques to record the proportion of the face.
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Students will learn the gridding technique creating a detailed portrait of themselves.
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Students will explore the work of Julian Opie and consider how his works creates identity – using Thinking Hard techniques.
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Students will explore how tracing paper can be manipulated in art to develop work.
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Students will learn how to use Acrylic Paint to create a Julian Opie style portrait and exploring basic colour theory.
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Year 8
In Year 8 we aim to reinforce the formal elements and drawing techniques, while exploring new ways of working and developing students’ independence as an artist. Students will continue to develop their art vocabulary and analysis artwork, their own and others to build their understanding of how to discuss art about work critically.
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Mythical beast
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Students will research the artwork of Pedr Linares using Thinking Hard techniques.
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Students will draw a range f animals with different materials as inspiration for their mythical beast – considering tone, shape, form and textures.
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Students will design a mythical beast, considering proportion, texture, shape and form.
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Students will create a 3D representation of their mythical beast understanding how to manipulate 3D materials.
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Students will develop an understanding of how to effectively paint a 3D surface,
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Students will write a short story about their mythical beast.
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Landscapes
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Students will refine their use f the Gridding technique, pencil drawing and their use of tone and mark-making by drawing a landscape.
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Students will explore colour blending and the mixing of colours through pointillism.
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Students will devise their own surreal landscape, considering a meaning they want to portray – using visual mind maps and small tests.
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Students will create a final piece developing their independence by selecting a material best suited to their ideas.
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Students will explore Pointillism and the work of Georges Seurat. This will be contrasted by exploring the work David Alabo and his exploration of futuristic alternate timelines. Students will use Thinking Hard techniques to delve deeply into the work.
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Keystone Year: Year 9
In the keystone year our aim is to continue to introduce students to the diverse nature of Art and design and its role in cultures around the world. Alongside this we continue to introduce our students to new art practices. It is also important that we continue to help students reinforce their skills and knowledge from the foundation years, building their confidence and independence as young artists. Students will continue to develop their art subject specific vocabulary and ability to critically analyse, their own and others work. Finally, during the keystone year we continue to support students in the development of their own imaginative and creative personal outcomes.
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The Arrival – Refugee project
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Students will explore refugee’s historical context – medieval Jewish migration, Huguenots, WW2 polish refugees, modern day- Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan Somalia.
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Students will investigate poems that explore refugees Home by Waran Shire/ Sea prayer. – students will choose a line from the poem to illustrate.
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Students will explore how to effectively generate ideas E.g. visual mind maps
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Students will continue to refine their pencil drawing – exploring formal elements and mark making and ability to collect imagery for final pieces.
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Students will investigate UNHCR Latin American artist explration of refugees and displaced people – using Thinking hard techniques
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Students will explore Collage work combining images to develop ideas.
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Students will create a final piece in either watercolour or oil pastel, testing materials and then creating a final piece.
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Student will create an artist statement t give their work context
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Day of the Dead
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Students start by looking at the festival of the Day of the Dead, so that they can understand the nuances of the festival and how they can best explore the topic.
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Students start by developing and refining their drawing skills looking at a variety of traditional symbols from the day of the dead festival. Students will use a variety of materials to help develop their skills and understanding of art experimentation including pencil colour pencil, ink and watercolours.
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Students will also explore mono-printing and refine their mark making to help them develop their observational recording.
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Students will learn how to create design drawings to refine their ideas and explore the use of colour testing with felt- tips.
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Students will refine their use f clay making three-dimensional skull and develop their use of application of paint to a 3D surface.
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Students will create personal and independent responses to the theme of Day of the Dead by creating designs commemorating a person from history, using both motifs from the festival and elements from the persons life. This will take the form of poster for Day of the Dead festival.
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Students will finally create A 3D relief f their poster as piece of decoration for a frendas
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Students will investigate merging objects to create new ideas and artwork exploring materials as they develop their ideas, helping them to continue to reinforce key understanding of the formal elements.Students will explore merging landscapes to create dream-esque/ fantasy or science fiction landscapes based on their own desired personal outcomes. They will explore a range of materials selecting the best for their outcome.Students will investigate merging animals and humans t create their own surreal personal outcomes, considering materials best suited to their ideas.They will continue to master art knowledge exploring, mark making, proportion, tonal work, colour mixing and blending to help develop and refine the skills they have built over the last three years.
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Students will develop their ability to review and refine work to achieve excellence
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GCSE: Years 10 and 11
Exam Board: AQA
Year 10
Exam Board: WJEC Eduqas
Year 10
In Year 10 students will start the course by completing a range of workshops to build skills and understanding. They will then start the Portfolio (worth 60% of the final mark). Students will undertake one coursework project in Year 10 that will continue into Year 11. There is a focus on students using their own time effectively working on projects at home or in after-school sessions. Throughout the course students are assessed using the Eduqas Mark Schene, focusing on the 4 Assessment Objectives Develop, Refine, Record and Present.
The knowledge and understanding students have gained and developed over their first three years studying Art will give them a strong foundation to build on and refine at GCSE. Students will continue to refine their abilities in a range of materials while exploring set projects. They will also learn how to develop their own ideas through experimentation and exploration, developing their own personal style and independence as they create exciting final pieces in their chosen mediums.
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Workshops
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Students will cement their skills and explore a variety of materials and processes and develop a clearer understanding of the wider issues in art that concern artists.
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At the start f the course, we focus on developing and refining skills so that students have a strong foundation on which to proceed.
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This begins with reviewing key drawing skills and making sure all students have a confident grasp of the formal elements, including tone and mark-making.
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During this time, students reinforce their knowledge of secondary and primary source observational drawing, allowing them to carefully consider how to refine details like texture, shape and form to produce the best finished product.
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We also explore a range of media and materials including drawing (this includes, pencil, pen, oil pastel, charcoal); Painting (watercolour, acrylic), printmaking (mono-printing, lino cutting, etching); mixed media and collage.
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While developing these skills we also begin to explore a variety of artists and designers' work – using Thinking Hard strategies so that students can start to think about the wider issues in Art but also consider the meaning in their own work. We will continue to help them build their vocabulary and critical abilities. We want students to develop their intellect and what they want to say with their artwork. We aim to help students to develop personal work that they are passionate about and introduce them to artists that can inspire them.
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All of this combines to allow students to become more independent and creative, allowing for students to produce confident, independent and passionate work that will allow them to succeed and develop as young artists in their Portfolio project.
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Portfolio - Portraiture Project
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In the Portfolio project students will explore Portraiture, refining and developing their skills and exploring their ideas in a range of mediums. Creating their own high-quality independent final pieces for their coursework portfolio.
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Students continue to explore a range of artist’s work, using it to inspire and refine their own style of working, while also exploring the wider issues in their work, building their vocabulary and critical understanding.
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We explore and refine students’ skills in a range of media and techniques to help students develop their own style and path as an artist. We understand that being an artist is not just about traditional art methods, and we give students the ability to explore a range of materials and ideas so that they can effectively achieve the best possible results. This includes photography, drawing, printmaking, painting and 3D.
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Students refine and hone the skills and knowledge they have developed but also learn to better understand where their own strengths lie.
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They will undertake longer, more in-depth tasks where they continue to explore and refine their use of fine art materials and learn how to develop their own ideas more fully, along with researching and analysing artists and their own work.
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Students will spend time meeting each of the four assessment objects while developing their projects, including creating larger final personal outcomes.
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Year 11
In Year 11 at the apex of their skill level, students will continue to develop their portfolio (worth 60% of their final grade) which encompasses their Year 10 project culminating in an impressive final piece for their Pre public Exam. Students must submit with their Portfolio a creative statement that explains their main idea, context and a reflection on the progress of the work.
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Externally Set Assessment Project
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Students end the course undertaking The Externally Set Assessment (worth 40% of the final mark) which is a selection of exam questions set by Eduqas (at the beginning of January) with the support of teaching staff.
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Students must pick one title from the exam paper
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Produce preparatory work for the exam using the resources and materials they have mastered over the last two years. This will include
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Completing artist research
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Showing idea development – through mind maps
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Experimenting with materials and ideas
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Devising final pieces and testing ideas
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Presenting and annotating all work.
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Completing a final piece in the 10-hour exam
Students must submit with their Externally Set Assessment a creative statement that explains their main idea, context and a reflection on the progress of the work
A Level: Years 12 and 13
Exam Board: AQA
The A level Art course comprises of two parts:
- A Personal investigation (which includes 1 project and is worth 60% of their final mark)
Externally Set assignment (Which is worth 40% of the final marks).
Year 12
In Year 12 students will develop 1 Project over the year. There will be continual assessment throughout course using the exam boards’ assessment objectives – Develop, Refine, Present and Record. Students will also be expected to investigate galleries independently in their free time to further their projects and gain better understanding of artist’s work.
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Personal Investigation
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Students will start the curse refining their understanding of a range of art techniques and exploring new materials so that they have a confident skill level and knowledge to pull from when exploring their chosen themes.
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In Year 12 students will undertake The Personal Investigation, this takes the form of one project.
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Students can independently decide on their personal themes for each project with support from the teaching staff.
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There are no restrictions on the paths that may be followed if the syllabus objectives are addressed as part of the process.
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During this time students will use the skills and knowledge they have acquired from Year 7 to year 11 and further refine and develop these skills to confidently realise their intentions.
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In the projects students learn to show their development of ideas this includes an ability to research a range of artists' work, analysing their processes and using the knowledge gained to influence and inspire their own work.
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Students also refine the ability to experiment with a range of ideas and materials that are appropriate to their chosen theme, reviewing and refining their work purposefully. Students will practice and refine their skills with previously explored materials but also explore new materials and ways of working.
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Students further develop their ability to record their ideas and reflect critically on their work and progress. They will have the chance to refine their current skill set and develop new skills depending on their project.
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Finally, they must have the ability to create a personal and imaginative final realisation that makes connections between their work and other artists. Student’s practical outcomes can take the form of a range of final realisations that can include paintings, sculptures, printmaking, photography, textiles, multimedia pieces and digital work.
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Students will be expected to produce high quantity and quality work during the course
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The practical aspect of the course is complimented written analysis of artists and their work focusing on the wider issues they explore. The students will also learn to show a high level of critical analysis when discussing their own work explaining their themes in a mature and creative manner.
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During the project, alongside their practical responses’ students will also tackle a 3000-word essay that explores the students chosen practical themes from an analytical viewpoint.
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Students will be expected to devise a title for the essay based on their second project.
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From this point, they must complete in-depth research on their topic and then write an essay that shows their understanding of the artists and the themes from their research.
Year 13
At the start of Year 13 when students are at the apex of their skill level, they will continue to develop their Personal Investigation (worth 60% of their final grade) which encompasses their Year 12 project culminating in an impressive final piece for their Pre public Exam.
In February they will be handed their Externally Set Assignment which is worth 40% of their final grade and is set by the exam board
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Externally Set Assignment
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The Externally Set Assignment is a respnse to topics given by the Examining Board. The papers are issued in early February, and students have until mid- May to finalise their responses.
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During this preparatory period students are to complete a range of investigations and developments including experimentations with ideas and materials, exploration into artist and contextual studies, good quality recording from observation and critical analyse of their own work.
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This should allow students to produce a high quantity of preparatory work while at the same time developing the quality of their work. These studies should help the students devise a final piece for the exam and should be presented and annotated in sketchbooks or sheets.
Students must then complete a 15-hour examination final piece under examination conditions. At the end of the exam all work must be submitted for final assessment