The Art & Design curriculum aims to create a learning environment that offers variety, interest, and challenge, in which students can experiment, invent, and create their own works of art, craft, and design. This involves creating a classroom climate that encourages students to be ambitious in their learning, creative and critical in their thinking, and enjoy the experience of learning the key knowledge and skills in this curriculum.
The curriculum also supports the wider HV attributes and seeks to maximise students’ learning potential in these areas.
Implementation
The program follows the Jersey KS3 Curriculum and AQA KS4 Examination Board requirements, and comprehensive schemes of learning have been developed for all learning outcomes.
At Key Stage 3, the curriculum structure follows a sequence of learning topics, focusing on key concepts and skills. Students will know, apply, and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the programme of study.
The instructional approach employs a range of active learning methods (e.g., to use a range of techniques to record their observations, and other media as a basis for exploring their ideas, to use a range of techniques and media, including painting, to increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials, to analyse and evaluate their own work, and that of others, in order to strengthen the visual impact or application of their work.
They will also acquire understanding about the history of art, craft, design, including periods, styles, and major movements up to the present day. This enables a smooth transition to KS4.
At Key Stage 4, students are taught to AQA specifications. With two components, comprising a ‘Portfolio’ selected from the course of study and an ‘Externally set assignment’, the specification provides students with a range of creative, exciting, and stimulating opportunities to develop and explore their personal interests in art and design, providing a strong foundation for further study at A-level as well as vocational pathways.
Assessment at KS4 focuses on four principal areas, which are linked to and extend on the subject content taught in KS3:
AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources
AO2: Refine work by refining ides, selecting, and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques, and processes
AO3: Record ideas, observations, and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses
AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.
Impact
The impact of the curriculum is ascertained through a range of quantitative and qualitative data. These include:
Questionnaires allowing us to understand opinion and collect observations.
Moderation of work
End of unit and topic assessments. Evidence at KS3 and 4 to show progression of key knowledge, skills and understanding.
Art and Photography GCSE option selections at the end of KS3 continue to be at a high number in the school and generate at least two option groups.
End of Key Stage 4 GCSE Results. Evidence shows positive value-added scores and high attainment, above the yearly National UK average scores in Art, Photography and Textiles.
