Art with Digital Photography
Art at Southlands High School is an exciting, practical and inspiring subject. We aim to provide all students with a rich and varied Art experience that engages and challenges them. Students are equipped with the knowledge and technical skills to explore and experiment with ideas, concepts, materials and processes, creating their own meaningful works of art.
Students will develop a critical understanding, learning about varied works, artists and movements. We aim to foster an understanding in all students that they are ‘artists’ and that their work has true significance, value and purpose. In addition, we aim to ensure that all students enjoy learning.
Key Stage 3
The course consists of two projects per year in Key Stage 3. All work is sketchbook based with the exception of final pieces. Sketchbooks are provided at the beginning of each year. Students are responsible for their sketchbooks and must bring them to every art lesson.
Year 7: Students are taught how to draw from observation, learn about mark making techniques and are introduced to artists from the modern, op art and post-impressionism art movements. Colour theory is introduced and embedded through the media of watercolour paint.
Year 8: Students experience working with clay and will design and build their own clay monster, inspired by the work of James De Rosso. For the second part of year 8, students revisit colour theory but through a new media of acrylic paint. They will learn about the characteristics of this media, how it differs from watercolour and begin to learn which media they prefer and why. New artists are introduced and further understanding about art movements continues to be developed.
Year 9: Colour theory continues to underpin student learning and in this project knowledge is embedded through the media of colour pencil. Students are explicitly taught how to layer and blend primary colours to create secondary colours. Knowledge of tone, warm, cool, opposite, complimentary and harmonious colours are also taught through colour pencil workshops. For this project students will produce a 2D and 3D outcome, inspired by sweets and treats. The art movements photorealism and pop art are referenced.
Key Stage 4
We offer both AQA GCSE; Fine Art and AQA GCSE; Photography courses.
The courses consist of two components; Component 1; ‘Portfolio of Work’ and Component 2; ‘Externally Set Assignment’.
The ‘Portfolio’ is worth 60% of the final grade and is made up of two projects in Y10 and one in Y11 that runs until the end of the autumn term. Pupils explore varied techniques and processes and develop technical skills in varied media. The focus of Y10 is to build student knowledge, skills and confidence, working with a range of media, experimenting with scale and ideas, whilst gaining an understanding of the four assessment objectives and how pieces of work contribute to each AO. In Y11 students, respond to a previous GCSE exam question. This project forms evidence for the sustained element of the portfolio. Students are able to work in their preferred media, be inspired by artists that they love and ultimately produce work that is personal to them. Sketchbooks evidence contextual research and understanding and sources are used to help inform personal journeys.
The ‘Externally Set Assignment / Task’ (exam) is worth 40% of the final grade and begins in January of Year 11. Pupils are expected to select and respond to a starting point provided by AQA. There will be a period of preparation time to investigate, research and fully explore the chosen theme. This is then followed by 10 hours of supervised exam time, in which they will produce a final outcome.
Both preparation work and pieces produced in the supervised time will be assessed as the ‘Externally Set Assignment / Task’.
For further information on the GCSE courses please visit www.aqa.org.uk
