Art & Design

Welcome to the Art and Design department

Curriculum Intentions and Aims

Raising aspiration and achievement through creativity. Art students are encouraged to be productive and reflective critical learners. Our students develop knowledge and appreciation of the place and role of the artist in society within the context of their time. Making art is an invaluable part of the education of young people. We provide the time and freedom for students to express thoughts, views and opinions on art and culture informed by deeper analysis of the work of others. Our students must be equipped to be able to interpret, understand and appreciate the original intentions of artists.

Students have the opportunity to engage in artistic sensory experiences when they are handling and manipulating materials. They must be able to communicate ideas visually by combining practical process in response to theoretical models related to artistic practice. Art offers unique opportunities for students to reveal their learning strengths, express their ideas, and develop their imaginations. Knowledge of the history of artistic practice from different times and cultures develops in the individual learner a broader understanding of the context of art.

Making art encourages personal expression, multi-sensory engagement and a greater appreciation of the physical world. Recording images directly from life develops in student’s skills of observation and analysis. We expect students to be able to annotate and explain motives behind their work and the work of others by using specialist artistic terms in context. Making work over long periods allows for a creative reflective making processes to occur over differentiated time frames, allowing for a more refined personalised approach to the production of work.