Art, Design & Technology
We believe your children have a right to express themselves develop their skills and confidence to fully reach their potential. We work across a range of mediums and explore various art styles and approaches to ensure your children have every opportunity to succeed.
In ADT, we have made the decision that all of the subject content we teach during Key Stage 3 is vitally important for our pupils’ development and to access a broad and balanced curriculum. Due to the reduced amount of time pupils have had in schools during the 2019/20 academic year, the following changes have been made to the curriculum for the 2020/21 academic year in ADT.
- Pupils entering Y8 will gain access to projects with extra drawing and core skills building.
- Pupils entering Y9 will cover look purely at core skills and GCSE style methodology to fill gaps. A focus will be on any mediums, such as clay, to be accessed in this year so pupils do not miss out on learning opportunities.
Key Stage 3
We work with a thematic approach to mirror the KS4 way of working to better prepare our pupils for their GCSEs. The projects look like this for the next academic year:
Key Stage 4
Exam Board – Eduqas
Awards – GCSE Fine Art
Art is assessed with 85% of marks awarded for coursework and 15% awarded for the 10-hour exam at the end of the year. This is traditionally broken up over 2 or more days. This is unique to practical subjects and offers a fair system for students to engage and learn based mainly on what is produced in lessons and for home learning. This way, student have time to take risks and adapt their work throughout the 2 school years.
Component 1, also known as ‘coursework’ is described here:
Component 1: Portfolio
60% of qualification: 120 marks
- The component comprises a major practical portfolio and outcome/s to be based on internally set themes and subject matter devloped from personal and/or given starting points.
- This component
- Work will be
- Evidence is required
- No time limit:
Component 2, also known as the ‘Exam Unit’ is described here:
Component 2: Externally Set Assignment
40% of qualification: 80 marks
The Externally Set Assignment consists of two parts
Part 1: Preparatory study period
- Externally Set Assignment
- One of the
- The start
- Start and finish
Part 2: 10 hour period of sustained focus work
- The resolution
- The period
- Centres determine
- Work will
- The Externally Set
- Both the
As part of their studies for Art, craft and design students should aim to present clear evidence of addressing the assessment objectives, as in the following examples.
AO1 Critical understanding
- Develop ideas that are informed by investigative, contextual and cultural studies of historical and contemporary art, craft and design and other sources relevant to their selected areas of study in their own and other societies.
- Explore a wide variety of work produced by artists, craftspeople and designers and the differences in their methods, approaches, purposes and intentions.
- Provide evidence of analytical skills and critical and contextual understanding by appraising, comparing and contrasting the work of relevant artists, craftspeople and designers and other historical and contextual sources, using this evidence to inform their own work.
- Increase awareness of the wide variety of art, craft and design processes and outcomes and the differences between them, including the more utilitarian applications of art, craft and design forms.
AO2 Creative making
- Refine and reflect upon work as it progresses by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes. Exercise skilful and safe application of these to maximise creative potential and produce quality outcomes.
- Explore a stimulating and rich variety of resources to initiate and develop innovative ideas. Pay due regard to line, tone, colour, shape, texture and other visual elements and, where appropriate, use drawing to explore and communicate ideas.
- Provide evidence of appropriate depth and breadth of study and employ sensitive control, for example, in refining detail in the design and production of ceramic pieces, or in using tone or colour accurately, or establishing relationships between typography and images.
- Show discrimination in reviewing ideas as work develops. Establish a clear working relationship between working methods and outcomes by documenting significant steps so that final outcomes do not emerge without evidence of the creative process.
AO3 Reflective recording
- Gather, select, organise and communicate information that is relevant to their personal interests as a consequence of careful research and analysis of a rich variety of resources.
- Record ideas, first-hand observations, insights and judgments by any suitable means, especially drawing, including for example, line, colour, tonal and textural studies, photographs and annotation in sketchbooks, study sheets and/or on tablets or other means, to support personal intentions.
- Critically reflect on work as it progresses in order to review what has been learned, acquire deeper understanding and clarify purposes and meanings.
- Consider opportunities, where appropriate, to transfer knowledge, skills and understanding to new contexts. For example, by adapting a small-scale ceramic form to a design for land art.
AO4 Personal presentation
- Present personal, imaginative final outcomes that, together with selective evidence of thinking and production processes, effectively realise the student’s stated intentions and demonstrate critical understanding of visual, tactile and, where appropriate, other forms of communication.
- Make explicit connections, where appropriate, between the different elements of the submission, including contextual, practical and written responses, presenting work that is meaningful, well-informed and in a sequence that can be easily followed.
- Consider different presentational formats and select the most appropriate for the submission. Due regard should be given to the purpose of the work and how it might engage the interest of an audience. For example, visuals and text can be used to show how an initial idea for a fine art piece could be developed into a poster for a music festival.
Students are given these in Y9 and begin to work with an understanding of these before they start looking at them in more depth in Y10
Key Stage 3
Students have one set homework task for every project that should take at least 1-2 hours. They also get optional homework tasks that enhance classwork and research skills. Students are encouraged to draw and wok on their own projects and ideas and can bring their personal work in to be critiqued by their teacher. Types of homework tend to be:
- Researching, printing out and bringing in relevant images and ideas to enhance classwork
- One project every 1-2 terms designed to enhance and develop skills. Students are encouraged to spend more than the minimum time by having 4 weeks to complete this
Key Stage 4
Students have chosen art because they have a passion and a flair for the subject. As the subject is coursework-driven, a minimum of 1 hour a week is expected to be spent on homework by each pupil. This will usually be given as a specific task but could be:
- Complete a detailed drawing related to your theme.
- Evaluate and discuss your own artwork, mixed media work and ideas as you progress through the project. This could be in word or hand written.
- Collect images of artists from the internet or Pinterest and evaluate them, include how you think they will affect your ideas.
- Experiment with new techniques and ideas you have taken from your artists or your own ideas.
How can you help?
- Make sure your child has space and time at home to comfortably sit and draw.
- Ensure that they have basic art equipment: a pencil, rubber and a sharpener is a must, but a coloured pencil crayons kit and a basic paint set of watercolours will encourage a love of creating.
- Encourage any form of drawing, sketching and doodling and try to provide a sketchbook or paper.
- Give constructive feedback and support with homework but do not draw anything for your child. The feedback given in class is specific for the child’s development and feedback is far less effective when parents have done some of the work.
- Try sitting and doing some of the homework alongside – it can be fun, it shows your child you value the work, and can be an excellent way to spend quality time together.
- Ensure students to attend art club after school on Friday if they miss a lesson to catch up.