Art and Design

Skills

Formal elements in art, such as line, shape, form, colour, texture, space, and value, are fundamental tools artists use to create and organise visual compositions. Mastering these elements helps students develop key skills in observation, expression, and design. Understanding how lines create movement, how shapes and forms structure a piece, or how colour and value affect mood and contrast enables students to communicate ideas more effectively. By applying these principles, students learn to analyse and construct visual art with purpose and clarity, enhancing both their technical abilities and artistic creativity.

Topics

Year 7: Day of the Dead, About me, Self Portrait, Abstract Art, Cubsim 

Year 8: Natural Form, Pattern, Aboriginal Art, Under the Sea, Cultural Appreciation 

Year 9: Natural Form, Georgia Okeeffe, Amira Gale, Observation studies, Experimentation and Final Response 

Assessment

Outcomes and PLC/Success criteria per project 

Skills

Formal elements in art, such as line, shape, form, colour, texture, space, and value, are fundamental tools artists use to create and organise visual compositions. Mastering these elements helps students develop key skills in observation, expression, and design. Understanding how lines create movement, how shapes and forms structure a piece, or how colour and value affect mood and contrast enables students to communicate ideas more effectively. By applying these principles, students learn to analyse and construct visual art with purpose and clarity, enhancing both their technical abilities and artistic creativity.

Topics

Component 1: Mini brief and External Exam

Component 2: Themes, Artists, Observations, Experimentation and Outcome

Plus three projects throughout 2 year course

Assessment

- Assessment Trackers

- 10 hour exam per component for response

- Internal Moderation

- External Visit through AQA Exam Board

Here is the link to the exam board specification where the marking success criteria is clearly stated for all students, parents, carers and staff to access:

AQA Art & Design Specification

Thursday: Art Club (after school)

Saturday Academy: Specific dates (GCSE only)

Art offers a wide range of career paths, blending creativity with technical skills across various industries. Some of the key options include:

1. Fine Artist: Traditional careers like painting, sculpture, or mixed media, where artists create original works to exhibit or sell.

2. Graphic Designer: Focuses on creating visual content for digital or print media, using design software to produce logos, advertisements, and branding materials.

3. Illustrator: Specialises in drawing and creating imagery for books, magazines, or online platforms, often collaborating with writers and publishers.

4. Animator: Works in film, television, video games, or online media to create motion graphics and animated sequences.

5. Art Director: Oversees the visual style and design in advertising, media, or product design, coordinating with teams to achieve creative goals.

6. Curator or Gallery Manager: Responsible for organising art exhibitions and managing art collections in museums or galleries.

7. Art Teacher/Educator: Instructs students in various art forms, from school to higher education settings.

These careers span industries like entertainment, publishing, marketing, and education, demonstrating how art skills are valuable in both creative and corporate environments.

Set: 1 project per term for KS3, Weekly at KS4. 
Due day: Subject to circumstance see class charts 
Format/platform: Class Charts, KS3 Sketchbooks and KS4 Coursework based in folder work

Here are some valuable online resources to help GCSE and KS3 art students with their research, skills development, and project work:

1. BBC Bitesize - Art & Design (GCSE and KS3)

○ A comprehensive resource with lessons on key art techniques, movements, and skills, specifically tailored to UK curricula.

○ BBC Bitesize GCSE Art & Design

○ BBC Bitesize KS3 Art & Design

○ BBC Bitesize Art & Design

2. Tate Kids

○ Fun, interactive content that introduces art history, famous artists, and hands-on activities to help students explore different artistic styles.

○ Tate Kids

3. The Art Story

○ Detailed information on art movements, styles, and influential artists, which can be useful for art students’ research and inspiration.

○ The Art Story

4. National Gallery - Learning Resources

○ Resources and guides for students to study famous artworks, artists, and techniques.

○ National Gallery Learning

5. Art UK

○ A database of UK’s public art collections, offering students access to thousands of artworks for study and inspiration.

○ Art UK

These resources support students in expanding their understanding of art concepts, techniques, and history.

Skills
Photography students develop essential technical and creative skills through exploring the formal elements — line, tone, texture, colour, composition, form, and light. Understanding how these elements interact enables students to capture and construct meaningful images with purpose and intent. Learners experiment with camera settings, lighting, composition, and digital manipulation to communicate ideas effectively. Throughout the course, students refine their observation, critical analysis, and visual storytelling, developing confidence in both independent and collaborative creative practice. By mastering these skills, students gain the ability to express personal viewpoints and respond thoughtfully to visual culture and the world around them.

Topics

• Component 1: Coursework Portfolio – includes sustained investigations and personal projects exploring Themes, Artist Research, Observations, Experimentation, and Final Outcomes.
• Component 2: Externally Set Assignment – AQA issued exam theme with preparation period and 10-hour supervised final outcome.

Students complete three major projects across the two-year course, including:

• Mini Brief (introductory skills and portfolio building)
• Personal Project linked to a chosen theme (e.g. Identity, Liverpool at Night, Urban Spaces)
• Externally Set Exam Project (AQA paper)

Each project encourages students to explore primary photography, research influential artists/photographers, and refine ideas through editing and presentation, in line with the AQA assessment objectives (AO1–AO4).

Assessment

• Coursework Portfolio and Exam combined form 100% of the GCSE grade.
• Work assessed using departmental trackers and regular feedback checkpoints.
• 10-hour controlled assessment for the externally set assignment.
• Internal moderation ensures consistency of marking across classes.

External moderation visit by AQA to verify standards and outcomes.

AQA Art & Design: Photography (8206) Specification