Art at Sir Thomas Rich S

SIR THOMAS RICH’S SCHOOL

THE ART DEPARTMENT

The Art Department comprises two full time staff, working in two purpose-built Art rooms, a small IT annexe and a Sixth Form storage and resource area.

It is a flourishing department within the school and regularly produces excellent examination results at GCSE, AS and A Level.

Key Stage 3 Art

All pupils from Years 7-9 are taught for two periods per week as a double lesson lasting one hour and ten minutes.

The KS3 scheme of work is divided into three thematic areas for each year, with each member of staff responsible for organising the individual projects within these themes.

Year 7 Themes: Observation; Creatures; Landscape. Year 8 Themes: The Human Figure; Storytelling and Narrative Work: Pattern and Design. Year 9 Themes: The Built Environment; The Fantastic and the Strange; Abstraction.

Within these themes, all pupils will experience a wide range of materials, processes and techniques, both in two and three-dimensions. Pupils are encouraged to develop technical skills as well as develop their own ideas within a given topic. Individual work is marked using the National Curriculum levels alongside an effort grade. This is supplemented by more in- depth assessments based on the four assessment objectives linked to external examination mark criteria, with a view to familiarise pupils with this process.

Homework is set weekly and is linked to the current class work.

GCSE Art

Pupils who opt for GCSE Art will follow the AQA Art & Design syllabus. This entails producing a Portfolio of two lengthy projects for the coursework lasting from September in Year 10 until January in Year 11, plus a terminal examination which begins at the end of January and culminates in a ten-hour supervised period in early May.

Currently, the two projects are: Core Studies – Observation and Composition Self-Image and Self-Identity

All class work and weekly homework in Years 10 and 11 is devoted to producing work for these two coursework projects.

At present there is one group in both Year 10 and Year 11 of over twenty pupils. They have four periods per week in the subject. Sixth Form Art

Sixth Form students taking Art at STRS follow the AQA ‘A’ Level Art & Design syllabus. They can choose to do an Unendorsed course, or specialise in areas such as Fine Art, Graphics or Photography.

In Year 12 (AS Level) students need to produce one unit of coursework, plus a terminal examination lasting eight weeks. A five-hour supervised examination session is organised half-way through this period.

In the Upper Sixth (A2 Level) students produce one coursework unit, called a Personal Investigation, followed by a terminal examination beginning in March and also lasting eight weeks. A fifteen-hour supervised examination occurs at the end of this period.

In September each year there is a residential trip, lasting four days, to either St. Ives or Liverpool. This allows the pupils to gather a large amount of visual information to help them begin the first coursework unit of the year.

At present there are twenty-five pupils taking A Level Art. They are taught in two parallel groups for eight periods per week. A regular programme of assessment takes place throughout the year, incorporating peer assessment weeks and all pupils are organised into small groups, or triads, which aims to encourage discussion and mutual support. RJL/March2004