Welcome to the Art and Design Department

Subject Overview
Teaching Aims and Objectives
Course Information
Marking and Assessment
Homework Policy
Examinations
Department Resources
Department Policies

Subject Overview

Art and Design covers a wide range of artistic approaches including: Painting, Drawing, Photography, Graphics, Animation, Digital Media, Printmaking and Sculpture. It is a very popular subject and a good percentage of students pursue it at university. The Department is affiliated to the Waddesdon Arts College Status. Opportunities exist through the Arts College Programme for students and staff to work with various artists and designers, and to participate in workshops and exhibitions.

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Teaching Aims and Objectives

The two main teaching aims are:
a) To help students gain confidence and improve practical skills
b) To help students grow in their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Students are set high targets and are encouraged to achieve these standards by developing their artistic skills and abilities. They are provided with access to a wide range of work by diverse artists. The Department also teaches various topics by demonstration and by setting individual students research tasks which they discuss with other students.

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Course Information

All work is project-based and this includes examinations. A project involves research and development of a set theme. This journey of development in most cases takes place in a sketchbook or portfolio. Students make studies and sketches, and test out techniques and collect resources. They refer to relevant artists and designers for inspiration and develop ideas through experimentation. As their knowledge, skills and understanding grow they embark on more confident and informed pieces of art. These pieces are often exhibited in and around school or even sometimes in our Arts College exhibitions in and around the community.

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Marking and Assessment

Assessing art forms is often considered a subjective activity but within the Art Department at Waddesdon, it is believed that art-work should be fit for purpose, with clear aims and intentions and, as such, all marking focuses on understanding the relevant criteria.

Students at Key Stage 3 receive one level grade for each project but as students progress to Key Stage 4 a more rounded cumulative level grade is awarded as students explore the range of artistic disciplines. Individual pieces are not levelled (this was never the intention of QCA); rather, students and staff discuss each other’s work, seeking ways to improve skills and develop understanding.

Students who follow examination subjects are taught the basic objectives of their relevant syllabi. These cover Skills, Knowledge and Understanding, Development of Ideas and End Pieces. Students learn the standards expected. Regularly, throughout projects, they are given a working grade after a discussion with their teacher. On a day-to-day basis, staff help pupils improve skills and develop understanding by working to specific criteria. At the end of projects, a final grade is awarded, in line with the Examination Board criteria and grade guidance.

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Homework Policy

Key Stage 3

Students have a drawing book in order to develop drawing skills and grow in confidence. This is a new initiative and the majority of Key Stage 3 homework focuses on this area. Students are given a full week to complete a homework task. Homework is set as and when appropriate but on average once a fortnight.

Examination Groups

At GCSE and in the Sixth Form, independent study is considered an expectation of each course. When students start at the beginning, all work produced goes towards the final examination grade. Most homework tasks set are an extension to lesson tasks or are aimed to strengthen and support the worked produced. Homework tasks are set every week.

All homework is marked and assessed in line with work produced in lessons. Students are invited to do homework tasks after school on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays in “The Art Zone” (after-school Art Activities Club). It is recognised that Art is a time-consuming activity and it is sometimes difficult to know when to stop and we realise that some students enjoy spending many hours creating masterpieces. As a guideline though, we expect Key Stage 3 students to spend about 30 to 40 minutes on their drawing task, GCSE about 60 – 90 minutes, Sixth Form a minimum of 5 hours

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Examinations

The Department delivers the following examination courses:

• GCSE Art and Design - AQA
• GCSE Applied Art and Design (Double Award) - Edexcel
• GCSE Photography – AQA
• GCSE Textiles
• AS/A Level Art and Design
• AS/A Level Graphics
• AS/A Level Photography

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Department Resources

The Department is extremely well placed to deliver courses by offering well-equipped facilities and expert staff. We have purpose-built 2D and 3D studios which contain a kiln, printing presses, silk screens, Apple Mac digital media suites, SLR cameras, and studio lighting.

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Department Policies

The following principles inform the nature and quality of the educational process in Art. They describe the values and attitudes held by the Department and which influence the way Art is taught and standards are achieved:

The Role of the Teacher

The teacher will:

• Seek to stimulate pupils’ imagination and inventiveness through the pupils’ first-hand experience and by reference to the imaginative work of others
• Give clear guidance, where appropriate, having analysed the steps that pupils need to take to acquire a skill or understand a concept
• Develop pupils’ confidence and pleasure in Art, Craft and Design
• Appreciate and value pupils’ individual responses in their own right
• Provide opportunities for pupils to experiment, initiate and make choices and act on them
• Balance the activity of making Art, Craft and Design
• Provide opportunities for pupils to reflect upon and discuss their own work and the work of others
• Develop pupils’ drawing abilities
• Employ a range of teaching styles including whole-class, small group and individual student. This will be based on the requirements for particular learning purposes
• Create and maintain a purposeful and orderly environment for the pupils
• Devise and use appropriate rewards and sanctions to maintain an effective learning environment
• Maintain pupils’ interest and motivation

The Learning Environment

The classroom should:

• Be visually stimulating, providing enrichment from displays, objects, books, collections and pictures
• Contain materials, tools and resources, which are in good condition, stored tidily and available for use according to an agreed and understood system
• Provide a secure environment in which children can experiment with confidence

Pupil Attitudes to be Encouraged

Pupils will be encouraged to:

• Respect their own and each other’s work
• Use tools and materials safely and responsibly
• Enjoy, think and talk about, their work
• Experiment and explore with ideas, techniques and materials

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