Art at RPA

At RPA, we aim for students to develop a creative skill set in art that enables everybody to work with a range of materials, media, and processes. With this, students will be able to create artistic outcomes and begin to understand the wider critical and contextual history of art. By the end of KS3, students will be able to create imaginative solutions to problems, begin to work independently in different specialisms, and understand the wider ethical and social agendas associated with art. 

At KS4, we offer Eduqas GCSE Fine Art. Students study this with the aim to continue to encourage creativity, sustained investigation, experimentation, planning and making as a means of developing technical and expressive skills, as well as developing imagination and critical, reflective thinking. By the end of KS4, students will have had the opportunity to develop a wide range of essential skills required for the next stage of their education.

Post-16, students may choose to study Eduqas A level Fine Art. Here we aim to give students the opportunity to refine the imagination and critical, reflective thinking developed in KS4. The resulting ability to innovate, adapt, and work independently by the end of the course is valued by higher education and employers alike.

We ensure that our curriculum reflects our students, their local community, and their wider cultural contexts to show them people reflecting themselves working in art throughout time and today. We use a spiral curriculum design informed by the threshold concepts of art pedagogy; this approach allows students to build a deeper understanding of the subject matter and to apply their knowledge in more sophisticated ways.

Whilst we want our students to achieve the very best results possible, we believe that a truly deep and broad creative curriculum goes beyond what can be tested in examinations. Students can feel out of place in the context of creative institutions (Burgess and Burgess, 2020), so we make the most of the school’s location by taking students to museums and galleries. Students are signposted and encouraged to enter external competitions and initiatives including the ARTiculation Prize, the Sovereign Art prize, and the Royal Academy’s Young Artists' Summer Show.

Art at Key Stage 3

• In Key Stage 3, students have one period per week. They learn about how to communicate ideas visually using a broad range of media, materials, techniques and processes. Students look at, discuss and reference the work of artists, designers & craftspeople from the past and present day and from a range of cultures and traditions. Students develop their creativity, ideas and increase proficiency in their execution. They develop a critical understanding of artists, designers and craftspeople and learn how to form reasoned judgements which informs their own work. 

• The students study the following units:

• Year 7

• Mark Making

• Under the Sea (The Formal Elements)

• Food - 3D

• Year 8

• Light & Shade

• Aliens - 3D

• Portraiture

• Year 9

• Insects - 3D

• Text in Art

• Faces & Places (Mini GCSE style project)

Art at Key Stage 4

• At KS4, we offer GCSE Fine Art. Students study this with the aim to continue to encourage creativity, sustained investigation, experimentation, planning and making as a means of developing technical and expressive skills, as well as developing imagination and critical, reflective thinking. By the end of KS4, students will have had the opportunity to develop a wide range of essential skills required for the next stage of their education.

• Exam Board: Eduqas

• Students develop proficiency in a range of media and techniques, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and photography.

• Students create imaginative responses to themes and personal expression in visual formats.

• Students learn to analyse artists' work and explore how historical, social, and cultural contexts influence art.

• Projects often require independent exploration of ideas, experimentation, and finding innovative solutions to creative challenges.

• Students learn to manage extended projects and meet deadlines.

• Developing sketchbooks and creating final pieces, alongside self- and peer-assessment of their work.

Art at Key Stage 5

• Post-16, students may choose to continue studying A level Fine Art. Here we aim to give students the opportunity to refine the imagination and critical, reflective thinking developed in KS4. The resulting ability to innovate, adapt, and work independently by the end of the course is valued by higher education and employers alike.

• Exam Board: Eduqas

• Mastery of various media and techniques, such as advanced drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and digital art.

• Exploring abstract and conceptual approaches to art-making, pushing creative boundaries.

• In-depth analysis of artists' work, movements, and contextual influences (historical, social, political, and cultural).

• Presenting work in professional and coherent ways, such as curated exhibitions or portfolio submissions.

• Developing written and verbal communication skills, including annotations, artist statements, and presentations.

• Exploring contemporary and interdisciplinary practices, such as video art, installations, or mixed media.

• Engaging with peers in critique sessions to give and receive constructive feedback.

Who to contact

Ms A Peynado apeynado@richmondparkacademy.org

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