Contact Teacher: Miss L Thorpe, Team Leader of Art
Exam Board: AQA Art and Design 7201
Vision
Art is primarily a subject which depends upon and develops creativity. It offers the opportunity to nurture and extend fundamental thinking skills in problem solving and to exercise research and documentary techniques. Art helps to equip students with the practical, technical and conceptual tools required by a broad range of careers. In Art we aim to allow students to thrive independently within a supportive learning environment. We pride ourselves upon success in encouraging the practice of creative thinking and students who have the confidence, skills and knowledge to produce often challenging outcomes, particularly in Key Stages 4 & 5. We have worked hard to create a learning environment, where every child feels welcome and their talents valued.
The Art Department is concerned with building a solid foundation of practical skills across a range of media. We aim to develop conceptual, research and critical thinking skills, providing students with a broad range of contextual sources and are conscious of the role that Art can play in supporting the wider curriculum. We make sure not to disenfranchise any child on the grounds of competence; it is our belief that Art is the most inclusive of subjects, with success available to all and that it is our job, as Art teachers, to facilitate this.
Art Learning Journey
This is a visual representation of how students' knowledge and skills develop through the Art Curriculum.
(click on the image below to view a larger version)
Why study Art?
Art is primarily a subject which depends upon and develops creativity. It offers the opportunity to nurture and extend fundamental thinking skills in problem solving and to exercise research and documentary techniques. A-level Art will help to equip students with the practical, technical and conceptual tools required by a wide range of careers.
Course details
Component 1: Personal Investigation - Practical work supported by written element of 1000-3000 words, set and marked by the centre and moderated by AQA. 60% of A level.
Component 2: Externally Set Assignment - 40% of A level. 15 hours of supervised time plus preparatory period. Work produced will be marked by the centre and moderated by AQA.
How the course is taught and assessed
The course begins with a six week induction period: an introduction to media, processes and techniques in a series of workshop sessions, in response to a given theme. Students are guided into conducting relevant contextual research and taken to London Galleries to explore contemporary Art practice. Portfolio work becomes increasingly student-led with independence, originality and difference celebrated as essential qualities for success. Coursework is reviewed continually; staff discuss progress with students individually and frequently through tutorials. There are three formal assessment checkpoints during the year when work is assessed according to AQA criteria so that students always have a clear understanding of their current standing and the strategies necessary to improve. There are no formal assessments as such during the first year of A-level, however students can expect on-going feedback through tutorials. The second year of A-level builds upon the confidence and independence gained during Year 12. Portfolio work is instigated by and responds to research into an aspect of Art’s techniques or practitioners. The summative exam, after 6-8 weeks of preparation, takes the form of 15 hours supervised, unaided work, in which students are expected to create a Personal Response or Final Piece.
Entry requirements
A good level of technical skill, an enquiring intellect, creative ability, independence and motivation are necessary to study Art successfully. Typically, students will value originality and be enthused by experimentation. Above all, they will love the subject. It is required that students have attained a grade 6 or above at GCSE Art.
The Art Department has an Instagram account where they regularly post pictures of the brilliant work our students are creating - this can be found at www.instagram.com/bishop_luffa_art