Intent
At St Bede’s, our intention is for our students to develop their artistic ability by:
- Creating sketchbook work that showcases their talents using our key artistic concepts of drawing, painting, annotating, and composing work.
- Providing a broad and balanced education which help young people showcase to their full artistic potential. This is through the diverse range of media and skillsets that we teach in the classroom.
- Creating artistic responses that reflect personal fulfilment, aesthetic awareness, and the capacity to make informed creative judgements.
- Resourcing within a climate of open-ended experimentation and having the freedom to make creative choices.
- Realising 2D and 3D Art and Design differences through elements of sculpture in parts of the sequence of learning.
- Developing skills in mark making with a variety of media for a range of purposes including recording, exploring, expressing, communicating, and imagining.
- Constructing skills with a wide range of materials; to cut, shape and join materials confidently, safely, and sensitively; to take pride in craftsmanship.
- Talking and writing about visual and tactile qualities of the natural and man-made environment.
- Criticising visual images of many kinds; evaluations of their own and others work; engaging and make informed judgements about artefacts and relating them to a variety of cultural, economic, historical, and social contexts.
- Having high expectations with an all-inclusive approach to learning art styles.
- Ensuring scaffolded skills are taught in a sequential manner that produces creative final outcomes.
Students experience at KS2
- The art department works alongside many primary schools in our trust with dedicated workshops.
- We have co-designed the curriculum at many KS2 primary schools in order to develop drawing and painting skills with line, tone, pattern, texture and shape. By the time students come into Year 7, they are able to develop the basic skills and knowledge into more challenging shapes and compositions though a variety of different projects; fruit, pop art and aboriginal culture.
- Y6 Open Evenings have creative art activities to make students feel comfortable with working in a specialised classroom.
- Any KS2 students who feel the need to have personalised tours of the department are welcomed to view the artwork and facilities on display.
Key Concepts
Drawing
Students learn a variety of drawing techniques and are challenged to use pen and ink, coloured pencils, crayons, erasers, and a variety of paint with their given art tasks. In Year 7, students develop observational skills by looking at fruit compositions, whereas Year 8 involves complexity in drawing symmetric insect designs. In Year 9 drawing skills are enhanced as they explore natural forms to develop realism in their work. Students will also draw in illustrative styles to draw like artists from around the world. Their drawings will become more complex as they include more intricate detail. Year 10 create a range of artwork which increases in scale and students face an additional challenge of trying out new media. In Year 11 students draw complicated facial features and expressions, combining all the drawing skills learned from a range of experimental work.
Sixth Form- Year 12 students draw architectural structures using perspective and proportion, whilst year 13 become increasingly harder choosing complex imagery in self-directed compositions.
Painting
In year 7, painting is used to show basic understanding of colour mixing and the differences between primary and secondary colours. With this knowledge they apply dotted patterns to aboriginal artefacts to show application of their painterly skills. Year 8’s explore how paint can be used in a looser style using watercolours which can be more difficult as students need to think creatively about how brushstrokes can flow in different directions. Year 9’s produce shell paintings that show the transition of tone and texture. This is a refined painting skill that challenges students to be creative and knowledgeable about their artistic choices. Year 10 predominantly starts as a Japanese project which explores blending techniques and evolves into acrylic skull painting. A range of painting techniques from artists around the world inspire students in year 11.
Sixth Form- Both year 12 and 13 students develop advanced painting skills choosing complex imagery and self-directed compositions. Painting skills like impasto art using palette knives or painting portraits using coloured grounds can be suggested dependent on the theme choices from student portfolios.
Annotation
Throughout each year group a wide range of vocabulary is introduced to students. This is for pupils to know how to write and talk about artwork in a thoughtful manner. Writing is just as important for students to do in Art because alongside their projects students must be able to articulate about what they have learned and how they have achieved it. In year 9 students consider writing about what influences the choices they make about creating artwork which involves higher order thinking. Year 10 and 11 explores GCSE assessment criteria which involves recording ideas in written format. This involves constant referencing to the formal elements and their own opinions to show sophisticated reflection as work progresses.
Sixth Form- Students create written essays that range from 1500-3000 words describing their creative journeys. Throughout sketchbook work sixth formers are expected to reflect in a sophisticated, academic manner to show thorough explanations about their recorded ideas.