Curriculum >

Art

The Art department at Kingsmead seeks to build a fun as well as informative educational working environment which releases the creativity inside each pupil.

The department is based in a purpose-built, large and airy room in the Centenary Building. Flooded with natural light, it provides a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere, in which students explore their experiences of the real and the imagined world through art and design.

The schemes of work are balanced and progressive, and at KS4, enable pupils to link their own interests with that of the curriculum.

Creative learning fosters confidence and self-awareness; pupils develop analytical skills through being exposed to different cultures, artists and genres, and can respond via various forms of media to realise their own ideas and intentions.

GCSE curriculum

At GCSE, our Art students follow the AQA’s Unendorsed Option which allows them to choose their own preferred form of expression under the guidance of departmental staff.

Art GCSE coursework involves offering three projects for final assessment from the six produced through Years 10 and 11.

There is also a 10-hour practical exam, 10 hours, that is, spread out over two weeks! The exam is usually taken in early March during Year 11. Coursework projects are finally assessed in early May of the same year.

The projects that we offer for assessment cover different media and approaches; ceramics, 3D work, graphics, drawing and painting are all available and can also be chosen as the preferred media for the final exam.

For all projects the preliminary work is very important, contributing a major element of the project mark, and must incorporate references to other artists, movements or artistic periods.