The Art department at Clacton County High School has a proven track record of high achievement coupled with well resourced facilities. The aim of the department is to inspire and maintain student interest, curiosity and enjoyment in art lessons. We inspire pupils to become confident in producing art, craft and design and our schemes of work are developed to take into account their interests, abilities and learning styles. The excitement and energy of the department is extremely popular with the pupils and many spend their free time developing their skills within this specialised environment.
Key Stage 3
During Key Stage 3 pupils are taught in mixed ability classes and have one art lesson each week. Students follow a well-structured programme of study that focuses on building their skills of observational drawing, exploration of two and three dimensional media. The schemes of work allow pupils to develop their skills in the formal elements of composition, proportion, perspective, form, tone, media and design. Pupils also have the opportunity to explore historical and contextual art by researching the work of different art movements and practitioners. There are opportunities for pupils to take part in a wide range of activities including painting, drawing, ceramics and print making. Pupils are regularly assessed against the national curriculum levels and are given feedback on their progress and set targets to ensure that they develop their skills and knowledge.
|Year 7 Schemes of Work||Year 8 Schemes of Work|
Key Stage 4 - GCSE Unendorsed Art & Design
The personalised learning programme at KS4 provides a wealth of diverse opportunities for students. Pupils currently follow the AQA exam board course and work towards completing two units of work over three years. Coursework is worth 60% of the final grade and consists of the work produced by students during the period of the course. The Controlled Test is worth 40% of the final grade and consists of an eight-week preparatory period and culminates in a 10-hour exam. Students begin in Year 9 with ‘the art foundation course’ which provides a rich learning environment that encourages experimentation, self-discovery and promotes enjoyment within Art as a subject. GCSE portfolio themes include Natural Forms, Still Life and Food, and a cultural investigation based on Masks. In Year 11 pupils will undertake eight weeks preparatory work in which initial research, investigation, and exploration of artists is undertaken. Pupils will then undertake the externally set task in which they will develop a personal response.
Key Stage 5 - AS/A2 Unendorsed Art & Design
In Year 12 pupils follow the OCR AS Art and Design course. This is composed of two elements, the" Coursework Portfolio" and the "Controlled Assignment". The coursework element is composed of two projects based on "Human Forms “and "Natural Forms".
Pupils will produce a portfolio of work based on the exploration of a wide range of materials, processes and techniques. As part of the “Human Forms” project, pupils will undertake a 10 week course of Life Drawing classes to develop their technical drawing skills and final outcomes.
The Controlled Assignment is set by the exam board and students have from February to prepare for their final piece which is produced during a five hour period under exam conditions. The marks from the AS components account for 50% of the overall A level grade so are an immensely important part of the final exam.
At A2 Level pupils are encouraged to develop a more creative and independent approach; exploring themes, artists and practical skills in greater depth. They have the opportunity to
explore a theme of personal interest. Pupils will write and plan their own personal investigation that focuses on developing a self-directed approach. They will continue to build upon the skills, knowledge and understanding gained at AS Level. The practical work is supported by a 3000-word written document that discusses and documents development of ideas links to artists, contextual understanding and personal discoveries.
The Controlled Assignment is set by the exam board and students have from February to prepare for their final piece which is produced during a fifteen hour period under exam conditions.