Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design and a lifelong love of learning.

As students progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Students will learn how to experiment across a range of techniques in order to build the knowledge of processes necessary to engage effectively with a GCSE course.

Importantly, students will have the opportunity to experience the joy of creating and refining a final 2D and 3D product and an understanding of the huge range of potential for self expression and an understanding of art that they can carry into adulthood.

Students revisit themes and skills introduced at KS3, refining skills and techniques and developing confidence.

Students will be working towards a GCSE grade, but will also have the opportunity to submit their work for the Arts Award.

• AO1- Students learn how to develop their ideas through investigations using experiments, artist research and documentation in sketchbooks and journals

• AO2- Students learn the importance of refining their work as they progress and how to ensure that their final response is of the highest quality

• A03- Students learn a range of techniques for recording their ideas. This can be in the form of sketches, models, 3D exemplars, written form and experiments. Students will learn how to use these different methods to capture their ideas and build towards their final pieces of work

• A04- Students will learn how to respond to the work of artists and crafts makers through research and experimentation. They will learn how to combine their knowledge of the approaches used by artists with their own experiments in order to determine the direction of their own journey.

Assessment processes

• Unit 1 Coursework- sketchbooks studies and final piece

• Unit 2 Coursework-sketchbooks studies and final piece - 70% of grade

• Exam-over 1 term preparatory studies, sketchbook and final response - 30% of grade