GCSE Art
The Art Department at Avanti House School believe that education is inclusive and should strive to provide an exciting and challenging curriculum which reflect the needs of all our pupils to unlock their creative potential and make them feel supported and empowered. We are committed to our students learning and wellbeing, offering a subject that teaches core life and transferable skills in a variety of materials, techniques and processes. We engage pupils by nurturing their appreciation of the arts which makes them question their learning to become successful and enthusiastic artists.
OVERVIEW OF COURSE
At Avanti House School, we believe that working within the arts allows our learners to develop creative problem-solving and communication skills in a unique and intellectual way. Art instruction supports our students with the development of their motor skills, language skills, social skills, decision-making, risk-taking, character building, interpersonal skills and inventiveness. These are all transferable skills not only useful for other subjects, but also highly important when practicing future life skills.
The GCSE and A Level art course of study follow the AQA curriculum which heavily focuses on exploring a range of new experiences which enrich a child’s inquisitive thinking and making skills. These skills allow our students to not only grow in their confidence of their own being, but also make them more aware of the world around them.
Following the National Curriculum guidelines students are encouraged to take creative risks and to experiment with a wide range of media, processes and techniques as well as study a broad range of art, craft and design.
All schemes of work have been developed to provide a rich and varied experience for students of all abilities.
PROGRAMME OF STUDY
SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE / UNDERSTANDING
Appreciate and experiment with the potential of materials and processes to develop ideas and meanings with skill in handling visual and tactile qualities.
Research, document and present information on the style and context of other artists’ work that assists the development of personal ideas.
Adapt, refine, analyse and evaluate your work to produce work of high quality and take account of the response of your audience.
Gain a deeper understanding of the subject by making personal links to own experiences and the world we live in.
METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
The Art department will provide formative and summative assessment grades throughout each year to demonstrate student progress and areas of improvement for the following year. Grades are assessed holistically throughout the two years for GCSE and A Level. This will provide a final grade at the end of year 11 and 13. Teachers will use their professional judgement and experience when marking and assessing both individual work and an entire portfolio of study. The art department will assess students work in line with the AQA exam board marking specification.
Areas that will be judged and assessed throughout KS4 and KS5 projects are listed below…
AO1 – Develop, investigate, research and explore
AO2 – Experiment, refine, select and explain
AO3 – Record, observation, planning and link
AO4 – Respond, conclude, understand and demonstrate
HOW PARENTS / CARERS CAN HELP
As a parent or carer, you only want the best for your child’s academic and personal development. Art allows this in many ways which you too can practice at home in order to nurture your child’s creativity. Please use the tips provided below to provide your child with an additional creative experience other than at school.
Provide opportunities for your child to explore within the context of the arts by visiting galleries, art exhibitions are artistic landmarks around the world.
Provide materials such as paint, ink, clay etc for your child to continue to practice working with tactile art materials.
Encourage your child to take risks in their observational drawing and painting skills by observing a variety of objects and people in different angles as well as using a variety of different drawing and painting mediums.
Keep your child’s art curiosity alive by questioning their thoughts and feelings and asking them how they would depict this in an image.
Share what you love with your child whether it be photography, the arts or other forms of design.
Discuss current events, affairs and issues in the world around us to spark intellectual and creative debates.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
The GCSE and A Level art students will have the privilege of working closely with an artist in residence as well as several other local artists and businesses. Our talented artists will work with the students by running specialised creative workshops to support students in refining their drawing and painting skills to an exceptional level. Students will get the opportunity to give something back to the community by running art workshops to younger children in our local Primary schools.
The Art department will run gallery school trips for students that are interested in pursuing a career in Art. The art department works closely with other departments in order to offer cross curricular trips.
The Art department provides a GCSE Art catch up club as and when required during exam time.
The art department is currently in talks with local businesses to discuss potential gallery spaces to showcase our student’s artistic talents. We will advise further once final plans have been confirmed.
RECOMMENDED READING / OTHER RESOURCES
Students are encouraged to use the school library’s broad selection of art books. Each book provides specific styles and works of art as well as giving students a further insight into classic and contemporary artists. Students can explore a preferred art movement of their choice and utilise the books provided of this style. There are a variety of different styles and movements in Art therefore we cannot name specific books as a recommended reading list for our subject. All students are unique in their thinking and creativity as is the subject. Once we know the area of interest in each student, we can direct them further into a more tailored reading list.