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Art and Design

Art and design

The study of art, craft and design allows some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Art at Ashington Academy aims to develop and nurture creativity through hands-on experiences of a wide range of processes. Drawing underpins all creative outcomes such as painting, printmaking, ceramics, collage and photography, these are developed further in Key Stages 3 and 4. Self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity. We encourage pupils to develop critical thinking and an understanding of visual language to interpret the world around us.

We encourage our pupils to explore visual, tactile and other sensory experiences to communicate ideas and meanings. They work with traditional and new media, developing confidence, competence and imagination. We pride ourselves on the variety of specialist resources and ideas from which to develop a wide variety of subject specialist skills. They learn to appreciate and value images and artefacts across times and cultures, and to understand the contexts in which they were made.
 
Pupils reflect critically on their own and that of others, judging quality, value and meaning. They learn to think and act as artists, craftspeople and designers, working creatively, intelligently and independently. Using the formal elements of art and design, pupils articulate their thoughts and opinions about artwork from a range of artists, designers and practitioners, and the work of their own and peers with subject-specific terminology.

In Key Stage 3, a wide variety of drawing, painting, mixed media, printmaking and sculpture allow pupils to explore and develop ideas and design processes whilst learning about divine proportion, pictorial space, colour theory and composition; a range of materials, techniques and processes are explored.

In Key Stage 4, students are invited to advance upon processes introduced at Key Stage 3 to develop their confidence and creativity. Specialist disciplines covered at GCSE include photography and fine art.

“Art makes children powerful” (Bob & Roberta Smith, 2003)

Year

Autumn

Spring 

Summer 

7

Under the Sea (The formal elements of Art)

 

Begin to understand the building blocks of Art, line, tone, texture, colour pattern and shape. Use these to produce your own creative outcomes following an under the sea theme. You will study the work of Matisse and Scarpace. 

 

 

 

British Heritage

 

Take a step back in time and study the historical artefacts and architecture of Britain. Record from observation and expand your cultural knowledge. Looking at local and British artists.

 

Graffiti Art (Recording observations and experimenting with craft)

 

Drawing, painting and collage. Develop your skills and experiment with a range of creative media to produce your own work inspired by Banksy.

Inside The Body (Evaluating the work of great artists, making & creating)

 

Evaluate the work of artists with interest in science. Look closely at cells and bacteria. Work with print and textiles.

 

8

Perspective (Drawing skills)

 

Develop your drawing skills by drawing using 1 point and 2-point perspective. You will record scenery and buildings in the style of Van Gogh and eBoy. 

Fruit and Veg (Experimenting with media)


Food, glorious food! Develop your drawing skills in a range of creative media using a variety of fruit & vegetables as your subject.

 

Comic books (Evaluating the work of others)

 

Get into comic book design by exploring the world of Jack Kirby. You will evaluate the work of illustrators and create artwork inspired by your favourite superheros. 

Digital Landscape

 

Develop and refine your skills of physical and digital collage. Work with different images that represent where you are from and your favourite things. Use Photoshop and 

 

 

 

9

Sweets (Developing creativity)

 

Develop your working knowledge of drawing and ceramic skills. Using sweets as your subject, develop your own creativity using your own ideas inspired by the work of Sarah Graham. 

 

Vanitas (Exploring media & materials)

 

You will experiment with a variety of media studying 17th century still life, Vanitas. You will produce work in the stye of Audrey Flack and David Bailly while recording from observation and experimenting with drawing techniques. 

Portraits (Refining art skills, styles and movements)

 

Begin to refine your art skills by exploring the theme of portraiture. You will study both historical and contemporary portrait artists. Explore a range of media to record facial features and develop your skills.

10

Refining art skills (The Everyday)

 

You will respond to the theme of “The Everyday”, carry out your research and develop your creative skills with a range of media. You will respond to a variety of contextual sources starting by looking at the artist Catherine Murphy. Generate and refine your ideas to produce informed, sophisticated outcomes. 

 

 

Sustained project (Human Form)

 

Developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief, students will evidence the journey from initial engagement with an idea(s) to the realisation of intentions. This will give students the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across their course of study.

Sustained project (Human form)

 

Developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief, students will evidence the journey from initial engagement with an idea(s) to the realisation of intentions. This will give students the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across their course of study.

 

 

11

Sustained project (Mock exam)

 

Produce a personal project which explores a range of hobbies and interests. Use a variety of mixed media to inform individual outcomes

 

 

 

Independent study (Externally set exam)

 

Respond to a topic provided by the exam board. Investigate a variety of contextual sources. Record your own ideas. Experiment with a variety of materials, techniques and processes. Produce your own individual outcomes

 

Independent study (Externally set exam)

 

Respond to a topic provided by the exam board. Investigate a variety of contextual sources. Record your own ideas. Experiment with a variety of materials, techniques and processes. Produce your own individual outcomes

 

View our post-16 curriculum here

I love being in the art rooms; I can be myself and just create.
Year 10 student
Art makes children powerful.
Bob & Roberta Smith, 2003