AES

Key Stage 3 Curriculum

Year 7

Year 7 is basically a foundation year to try to bring the pupils up to the same level of understanding. It enables pupils who already have some knowledge of the subject to hone their skills. Throughout the year pupils will produce a range of 2D and 3D work based around the main formal elements of:-

• Shape
• Line
• Colour
• Tone
• Form
• Texture
• Pattern

Year 8

In Year 8 pupils will focus on Composition. They will learn to:-

• devise more than one solution to a compositional problem and select the most effective or appropriate one
• combine and arrange selected objects within a picture to create an effective and imaginative composition
• consider foreground, middle ground and background when organising a  composition
• change of the size objects to enable depth to be shown in a composition
• consider negative space, aerial perspective and overlapping of objects within a composition

Pupils will do some work in paint. They will build on their understanding of colour mixing. They will also explore brush techniques such as stippling and scumbling to create different textures.
 
Year 8 pupils will undertake a research project for homework and then, based on it, create some 3D work exploring different construction techniques.
 
Year 9

Year 9 work is mainly based around the theme of portraiture and figures.

Working from an observational starting point, pupils will explore portrait work looking in particular at proportion, form and tone.

They will examine the approaches to portraiture by different artists, cultures and times using appropriate vocabulary. Within their research they will focus on content, process, form and mood.

They will then select areas of visual interest from their research to explore in a greater depth. Within this exploration they will focus on the main formal elements of line, tone, colour, pattern, texture, shape and form.

Pupils will also do some figure studies, looking at proportion and foreshortening.

You are lost the instant you know what the result will be. Juan Gris

Key Stage 4 Curriculum

Students are entered for Edexcel GCSE Art and Design (Unendorsed)

Students carry out research on a given theme or themes. Some observational work is produced to hone the students' skills. Some is produced to gather first hand research. This work is done in a variety of media such as pencil, paint & pastels.

Some visual research is gathered from books & the internet.

Research work on different artists and designers is also undertaken.

Based on the aforementioned research, students explore different ideas and techniques using a variety of materials. This experimentation is in 2D and 3D. Students then create final pieces.

Some of this work is produced in sketch books.

Some of it is done in class and some is set for homework.

Year 10 students doing research drawings at the Museum of Zoology in Cambridge.

AS/A Level Art

Students are entered for Edexcel AS/A Level Art and Design (Unendorsed)

As with the GCSE, students carry out research on a given theme or themes. Some observational work is produced to hone the students' skills. Some is produced to gather first hand research. This work is done in a variety of media such as pencil, paint & pastels. Some visual research is gathered from books & the internet.

Research work on different artists and designers is also undertaken.

Based on the aforementioned research, students explore different ideas and techniques using a variety of materials. This experimentation is in 2D and 3D.

Students then create final pieces.

Some of this work is produced in sketch books.

Some of it is done in class and some is set for homework.

The A level syllabus includes a written Personal Study.

Practise what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know. Rembrandt

International Baccalaureate

We offer IB Higher and Standard in Visual Arts.

With me, it's what Yeats called the fascination with what's difficult. I'm only trying to do what I can't do. Lucien Freud

The IB Art programme covers two years of intensive work by students.

It is not purely practical but involves research into art and artists, and students must be prepared to work on art projects both in school and out, visiting galleries and gaining information and inspiration at all times and from all sources. An integral part of the IB Art course is the student.

Research Workbook: this is a journal kept by the student and into which regular entries might be put, to do with research, ideas for artwork, sketches, notes etc.

In order to do well at IB Art, a student must be motivated and have an inquiring mind. Technical ability is useful but is not a guarantee of success. The IB Art student should be open-minded, willing to work hard, interested in visual experimentation and have something to say.

Setting Arrangements

Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups.

In Year 7 they are taught in tutor groups. In Years 8 & 9 the four tutor groups on each half of the year group are divided into five slightly smaller groups. Pupils are taught in these groups for Art and Technology.

At Key Stage 4 there are usually 3 Art groups and again they are mixed ability.

In the Sixth Form students are expected to have GCSE Art and Design grade B, or above, or the equivalent.

If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all. Michelangelo

Extra-Curricular Activities

The Art rooms are usually available at lunch time for students to continue working on their class work, if they wish to. For Year 7 pupils there is an Art and Crafts club.

'Talented' pupils have been invited to take part in a number of events such as Chinese lantern making and taking part in the Chinese New Year festival.

'Talented' pupils from Year 9 & 10 made Chinese lanterns. They then took part in a lantern lit procession as part of the Chinese New year celebrations in Brentwood.

Chinese headdresses - designed and made by 'Talented' pupils in Years 8 & 9. These were worn by pupils, from other schools, who danced at the Chinese Festival of Light that took place in North Weald Park in September 08.

Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility. Picasso

Self Study

GCSE, AS/A Level and IB students are expected to organise their work, manage their time and work independently. This is fundamental to being a successful Art student. They will always have ongoing work to do and they should be gathering research and materials when the opportunity arises.