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Art & Design
We see the study of Art & Design and creative endeavour as an exciting, essential and economically relevant part of every young person’s education and entitlement.
It was Picasso who said “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” (Pablo Picasso) However in Twenty first century Britain the study of Art and Design and the perusal of creativity has never been more relevant. Creativity and design in Britain is a success and economically important, the coalition government recognises this. “The UK has a world class design sector and we need maintain our role as a global leader” (David Willetts 2011)
News
The autumn term is always a busy time in the Art Department for learners attending out of school visits and study sessions. It is essential that learners make primary observations from real locations if they are to create authentic work that has true meaning and are to visit galleries to see Artwork up close and personal.
Learners in Y10 studying GCSE and BtEC this term visited the wonderful Birmingham Botanical gardens to provide inspiration for their respective “Growing and decaying” unit or “Natural forms - wallpaper and ceramics” brief. The Gardens provided learners with a great variety of forms, colours and textures which they recorded to inform their studies.
Learners in Year 11 studying the BtEC course visited the remarkable Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford as part of their vocational work. They are working on a brief where they are to design an artistic item to promote the Museum.
Learners in Year 12 visited the impressive BP Portrait Award at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. This visit will inform their practice as an artist. They too are working towards an exhibition where they will present a portrait of their own that will have real meaning and deliver an emotional impact upon the viewer.
The Art Shop is now open for business. Selected prices are listed below; please visit the Art shop for a greater range of products.
2B pencils – 10p
4B pencils – 25p
Black biro – 5p
Celebrations
Year 13 have just put the finishing touches to their “Homage” exhibition. Their work will be on display for one week from the 31st October 2011. A number of different artists have been paid homage to in the exhibition, from Michelangelo to Jeff Koons. This is the first of many exhibitions that our learners in the sixth form will hold throughout the year.
Facilities
Our well equipped specialist Art & Design department at the Friary school offers 3 teaching studios and a sixth form Art studio.
Within these studios a range of facilities are on offer. The Art department is keen to offer the opportunity for learners to create using new technologies, a range of PC and MAC computers with industry standard software are on offer for learners to exploit the creative potential of.
The department too is very pleased to be able to offer traditional Art, Design and Crafts techniques. We are proud to be able to offer young people the opportunity to create and experiment using clay. Our ceramics studio offers two industry standard kilns, left and right handed potter’s wheels and a spray booth for use with glazes. We also offer a fully equipped printing press with the facility to produce relief and intaglio printing techniques. A fully operational dark room is too very popular amongst the sixth form.
Staff
The Art & Design department consists of three Art teachers who all offer different specialist skills, painting, fine art and ceramics as well as an Art technician with a specialism in illustration.
Mr R Havill (Subject leader for Art & Design)
Miss F Wood (Teacher of Art & Design)
Miss N Colley (Teacher of Art & Design)
Miss C Ruddock (Art & Design Technician)
Courses & Syllabus
KS3
During Key stage 3 learners will have the opportunity to work in specialist studios with dedicated staff. All learners will have two hours of Art education per fortnight, usually in the form of one “double” lesson. Learners are encouraged to recognise and develop their own skills in different mediums such as 3D, print-making, painting and drawing during their two major projects a year. This work is displayed around the school. Learners gather their experiences in large A3 sketchbooks these books are highly valued by learners and staff. The sketchbooks illustrate the personal journey each student has travelled in art and become an invaluable record of achievement to take home in year 9.
KS4
At KS4 we offer two pathways, learners wishing to purse an academic route and develop their practice as artists are offered AQA GCSE Art & Design. Learners studying Art & Design GCSE are assessed on their ability to:
• Record observations
• Develop an idea
• Experiment with materials
• Present a final piece
This course allows learners to grow as an artist and will see them spend a great deal of time working on each unit. These units will work towards the creation of a “coursework portfolio” which will account for 60% of our learners final grade. A final Art & Design controlled assessment is undertaken after the coursework portfolio, the theme is offered by the exam board and is a 5 week process culminating in a timed outcome.
For learners who wish to purse a more vocational pathway we offer Edexcel BTEC first Art & Design level 2 (Diploma and Certificate). The BTEC Firsts in Art and Design focuses on developing knowledge, skills and understanding of the working world within the wide context of the creative arts sector. It is a practical, work related course, whereby you learn by completing projects and assignments that are based on realistic workplace situations, activities and demands. This way of working will see learners working within more precise given briefs towards a deadline. Learners will take on different roles within the creative industries with each given brief.
• Learners studying BtEC first Certificate will complete 4 units over their 2 year course.
• Learners studying BtEC first Diploma will complete 8 units over their 2 year course.
KS5
At KS5 we offer a challenging Art & Design AS and A2 course (OCR). During this course learners will complete a Coursework Portfolio; this accounts for 60% of a learners grade and is currently comprised of the following units in Y12:
• A Foundation unit (including a Bridging Unit undertaken over the summer between Y11 to Y12)
• Portraiture
• Contemporary Ceramics
In year 13 learners are expected to “specialise” within a medium and will pursue the theme of “Place” to complete their Coursework Portfolio.
A final Art & Design controlled assessment is undertaken after the coursework portfolio in both years (12 & 13). The theme is offered by the exam board and is a 5 week process culminating in a timed outcome..
All aspects of the course are teacher-assessed, moderated internally and then externally by an OCR moderator.
Links for Learning
www.lichfieldarts.org.uk
Promoting the latest Arts events in and around Lichfield
www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk
www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
www.bmag.org.uk
Local Art galleries
www.ikon-gallery.co.uk
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
www.tate.org.uk
www.ysp.co.uk
National Art galleries
www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings
National achieve of painting in the United Kingdom
www.picnik.com
Online photo editing software
www.aqa.org.uk
Awarding body providing our A&D qualifications for years 10-11 GCSE
www.edexcel.com
Awarding body providing our A&D qualifications for years 10-11 BtEC
www.ocr.org.uk
Awarding body providing our A&D qualifications for years 12-13
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