Auckland College
Independent School
Overview
The study of Art and Design leads to an understanding of the importance of design in everyday life. Currently, the creative industry in the UK is growing at a significant rate, and the demand for graduates with good specialist art and design skills is enormous.
The departmental aim is to provide the foundation of the required specialist art and design skills. The department works towards providing an environment which nurtures and actively encourages creativity and talent. Practical work develops through an ethos of praise and constructive dialogue between student and teacher. Students are exposed to a wide range of media and techniques and develop their appreciation of art through the generation of their own work and through the opportunity to see artwork in gallery settings. All students are encouraged to have ownership of their ideas and work, developing work with guidance from the teacher rather than instruction whenever possible.
Alongside the practical expertise, students will also learn transferable skills valued in both higher education and the world of work, such as: creative and analytical thinking, problem solving, working independently, research methods, fine motor skills, understanding how context shapes meaning, and how to communicate effectively.
In Key Stage 3, we endeavour to give pupils a broad and varied experience of Art and Design, and they will attain a wide range of specialist skills in: drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, clay work and printmaking. Each topic is linked to the formal elements of Art: Line, Tone, Colour, Texture, Shape and Space and will also develop a cultural link within.
During key Stage 3 students will explore, develop and consolidate skills, knowledge and understanding, which will prepare them when starting GCSE Art.
In Key Stage 4 we offer Entry level and GCSE Art and Design with the examining board OCR.
The courses offer a diverse and exciting curriculum that empowers individuality and fosters innovation. We offer a stimulating environment where students can develop their creative flare and generate ambitious artworks.
Portfolio sketchbooks are used to document the artistic journey, sources and direction. Through studying both historical and contemporary works, pupils will analyse and evaluate a series of relevant artists and designers. They will produce personal responses to show the development of their conceptual ideas, through sustained and focused investigations. We support students in exploring and experimenting with different media, materials, techniques and processes. They will reflect on their progress, and as a result, review and refine their artwork. Finally, the students will present meaningful outcomes outside of their portfolios, which realise intentions and link directly to their preparatory work.
Educational visits will help students to put their learning into context and enable them to collect primary sources which will inform their independent learning.
Component 1 – Portfolio
60% of GCSE/Entry Level grade
Pupils will produce a portfolio of work, which will be selected from 2 projects undertaken during the 2-year course.
Component 2 – Externally Set Assignment
40% of GCSE/Entry Level grade
Pupils will produce personal work in response to 1 of 5 starting points on the OCR externally set assignment paper. Following a preparatory period, pupils will have 10 hours of supervised time to create a refined and meaningful outcome.
We offer an extensive programme of enrichment opportunities for our students from art trips to museums, art galleries and artist studios to lunchtime clubs, after school Key-Stage 3 clubs and Key-Stage 4 booster sessions.