Art

Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3 all work is based on the national curriculum and delivered in the form of projects. These are a wide range of constantly developing projects suitable for each year group and based on a broad experience of drawing, painting, ICT, print making, ceramics, textiles and sculpture. Project packs of suitable resources are constantly updated, reviewed and added to. These contain worksheets, design sheets and artist reference material in varied forms such as: postcards, videos, work cards, posters. Staff are encouraged to develop new resources, as well as use the ones already in place. Schemes of work are all written for the support material and staff aim to offer each year group a broad and balanced diet of experience. The packs are varied to cover a wide range of imaginative, cultural and observed themes. We have a broad and balanced range of opportunities aimed to encourage all students to find a medium in which to gain creative and personal success.

For example, a pack for Year 9 on sculpture: we took Year 9 to the Sainsbury Centre as part of our ‘One World' fortnight and followed up with an imaginative sculpture project to invite staff to view the exhibition. Other projects from other years include: teapots, shoe and bird constructions, cupcake print project, ICT portraits, Hero and Villain projects to explore personal interpretations and responses to drugs, pop idols, drink etc., textile and ceramic Dragons and Mythical beast projects, sculpture Gaudi Towers, paste resist design work, metamorphosis of faces into animals or shoes into tropical islands. The range and opportunities for imaginative expression are fully encouraged and promoted within the department.

We annually have ITT art students who have worked as artists in residence or used their specialisms to aid students of all ages. Some of our successful projects have emerged with staff working closely with trainees.

One of our main projects which cuts across all key stages is our unique Still Life project which takes place in the Autumn term. This is based around chosen artists in each of the 5 art rooms and students select which artist they wish to work with. Work undertaken in this project is mainly in paint, drawing and mixed media across all key stages including post 16. Students then have the opportunity to work with students of all ages. Recent artists studied include: Edward Wadsworth, African Art, Cornelia Parker, Tony Cragg, Arman, Henri Rousseau, Henry Moore, Andy Goldsworthy, Cubism, Salvador Dali to name but a few.

GCSE

At GCSE, AS and A2 the Edexcel syllabus is studied. Again project packs and workshops have been developed and are being constantly refined to meet the changing needs of the examination specifications.

A Level

Endorsed Textiles and Photography are offered at AS and A2. This means that students can follow two Art A level choices.

To complement the work covered on the exam syllabus workshops and trips are arranged. Staff create individual workshops and we also have visiting practitioners to deliver activities such as Kate Stephens' figurative workshops and ex-textile students who have run textiles workshops. In the past Year 10 have visited: the Tate, the Henry Moore Foundation, the Sainsbury Centre and Norwich Castle Museum over the years. The Sixth Form use their visits as starting points for units of work and have visited: the London Tate, Tate Britain, The Royal Academy various exhibitions, the Courtauld Institute, individual Local Open Studio exhibitions, local printmakers' studios. We make use of many local artists, parents and craftspeople who are very generous in giving up their time to support individual studies undertaken by students in the Sixth Form.

As part of their examination we encourage examination students to display their own work to celebrate their achievement. Two annual exhibitions take place for GCSE and AS/A2 level and we invite parents, friends and colleagues to view the work. We have Art activities and exhibitions with our feeder schools. We have annually submitted Sixth Form work into the Suffolk County Sixth Form Exhibition and gained recognition for the work. We have won a local rubbish competition and "Pink Galleries" competition with prizes awarded by Maggi Hambling as well as one of the County Sixth Form awards. One of our students gained a grant for her foundation year from a local Art Society. Display around the school environment is very important to us and we encourage students to promote and share their efforts within the wider community.