Curriculum Intent

Through our Art, Craft, and Design curriculum, we strive to provide students with a comprehensive and well-rounded creative experience across a variety of disciplines. Our aim is to foster the development of both technical skills and personal expression, allowing students to explore diverse materials and processes in a way that nurtures their individual creative voices. Projects are centred around flexible, broad themes that encourage personal interpretation and inquiry, drawing on cultural and artistic references from both historical and contemporary sources. Students are encouraged to investigate a wide range of artistic styles and traditions, including those from Western and Non-Western cultures, enhancing their cultural awareness and deepening their understanding of the context in which art is created.
At the core of our curriculum is the practice of drawing, particularly from direct observation, which serves as the foundation of all projects. We recognize the varied skill levels of our students and approach drawing with flexibility to ensure it is accessible and challenging for all. Throughout their artistic journey, students will maintain sketchbooks that document their development, allowing them to reflect on their creative process and track their technical progress. These sketchbooks will also serve as a space for formative assessment, teacher feedback, and goal-setting, facilitating an ongoing dialogue between the student and teacher.

Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3, students will be assessed based on the following four progress objectives:

  1. Generating Ideas: Encouraging creative thinking through close observation of the world around them, engaging with imagination, exploration, risk-taking, and problem-solving.
    Making and Developing Outcomes: Investigating materials and techniques, learning to understand the formal elements of art and design, and developing practical outcomes.
  2. Evaluating: Analysing and interpreting artworks, reviewing and refining their own creations, and making connections between their work and that of others.
  3. Knowledge and Understanding: Cultivating awareness of a wide range of artists, designers, and art movements, drawing from both historical and contemporary sources.

Y7 Art & Design

Y8 Art & Design

Y9 Art & Design

Key Stage 4

At Key Stages 4, the assessment objectives are closely aligned with those at Key Stage 3, with a deeper focus on:

  1. Developing Ideas: Encouraging sustained investigations that demonstrate critical understanding of artistic sources.
  2. Refining Ideas: Experimenting with different media, materials, techniques, and processes while making connections to their developing concepts.
  3. Recording Ideas: Observing and documenting relevant ideas and insights to support their artistic intentions.
  4. Presenting Responses: Realizing personal and meaningful outcomes that demonstrate an understanding of their intentions, informed by prior research and creative exploration.

Y10 Art & Design

Y11 Art & Design