http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce15/art/Pages/default.aspx

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/art-and-design-2016.html

At Key Stage 3 all work delivered in the form of projects. These are a wide ranging and constantly developing based on a broad experience of techniques such as drawing, painting, ICT, print making, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography and sculpture. We cover a wide range of imaginative, cultural and observed themes for inspiration. Homework takes the form of independent tasks where students are encouraged to be imaginative and take initiative for their ideas and research.

Examples of our projects include, Clay Towers project, Meadows and Hedgerows, Craft and Design, Transformation of a Shoe, 3D Chameleons, Beetles and Bugs, Under the Sea, What am I Like?, to name a few.

One of our main projects which is delivered across all key stages is our large scale Still Life installation which takes place in the Autumn term. This is based around chosen artists or themes in each of the 5 art rooms. Students have the opportunity to develop ideas through research and experimentation.

The opportunities for imaginative expression are fully encouraged and promoted within the department. Students contributions are celebrated throughout the school through large scale displays of both coursework and personal projects completed as homework. We also encourage participation in community projects such as the provision of artwork for display in Ipswich Hospital and working with visiting Artists.

Students in Year 10 and Year 11 are taught a broad range of skills through the delivery of workshops and projects that promote the use research and investigation. These cover everything from painting and drawing to sculpture, textiles, print, mixed media and photography. Students are offered Art Craft and Design or Art Photography at GCSE level. Photography explores a range of lens and light based media through both digital and physical recording and manipulation of imagery. Our department is resourced with a suite of Apple Mac computers along with a dark room, lighting and digital cameras.

We follow the Edexcel exam board syllabus for Art and Design. Students complete a portfolio along with an exam project and these are both assessed at the end of Year 11. Students develop their work through use of sketchbooks and experiments with larger scale pieces of work in a variety of materials. Drawing is promoted and used for a number of purposes, including developing ideas as well as observational studies. Students work from our large still life installations each year to investigate starting points for individual projects and explorations.

We organise visits to both London and local galleries to support and enrich student’s research and gain experience of Art in a wider context. These have included The Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Saatchi Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Sainsbury Centre. Each year students create a display of their work in the form of an exhibition to celebrate their achievements.

Art Craft and Design along with Textile Design and Art Photography are offered for A level following the Edexcel exam board syllabus for two years. Teaching staff from a range of disciplines support students in developing both creative skills and an identity as an individual artist. Students are encouraged to explore a wide range of techniques, ideas and approaches both in sketchbooks and larger scale pieces. Drawing forms a strong foundation in developing skills, techniques and ideas. In Photography students have the opportunity to work with both Apple computers for digital manipulation and with creative dark room techniques. In Art and Design we explore a broad range of ideas through both two and three dimensional art forms. Art Textiles workshops involve an experimental and exploratory approach to use of materials and textile processes.