This resource provides a quick and easy map of your child’s curriculum journey in Art and Photography. 

Art

Photography

Key Stage 3

Our curriculum is designed to give a varied blend of experiences informed by the five key power concepts; The Formal Elements, Visual Concepts, Creativity, Culture and Literacy. The key concepts are evident in all areas of the mapping and planning ensuring there is a fluid and consistent journey throughout for all students.     

We aim to engage, inspire and challenge students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and produce their own works of art, craft and design. Students will systematically build on prior learning and have a clear understanding of its placement within the totality of their learning journey.

Throughout Key Stage 3 the curriculum offers deliberate sequencing through the study of a wide range of  artists, craftspeople, designers and artistic movements. Students explore a wide range of art from different time periods, countries and cultures, enabling them to put their work into the context of Art History. Students are required to think critically and challenge preconceived ideas, encouraging them to develop their own opinion, be able to justify these and broaden their own cultural capital. Both technical and analytical skills are developed, to communicate concepts, experiences and ideas across a wide range of media. Students’ learning is enhanced through creative expression, confidence in exploring media and through fluent expression of feelings and opinions, in written or visual form.

Year 7 students begin their journey by exploring the elements of Art: line, tone, shape, form, colour, pattern and texture, using a variety of tools, techniques and processes. The formal elements are the building blocks of any piece of artwork and understanding them is vital to being able to organise visual information. By understanding the elements, students are able to compose their own works of art as professional artists would; being able to translate what they see into written words and spoken language. By the end of term one, students have the opportunity to develop their competency in basic skills, including observational drawing (from both primary and secondary sources), mark making, shading, basic three-dimensional drawing, symmetry, ellipses, colour theory/mixing and tessellation. The formal elements are brought to life each week by the artwork of Henri Moore, Hopper, Picasso, Matisse, Gaudi, Klimt, Kandinsky and Da Vinci. Sophie Ryder, Nick Hackman and J.Vincent Scarpace are the inspiration for our three dimensional project where students respond to a brief by creating a clay fish sculpture. As well as gaining an understanding of the clay and firing process, students gain skills in hand moulding, pinch pots, and clay joining. Students then have an opportunity to build upon their colour mixing skills, by painting the three dimensional surface. 

To conclude Year 7, cultural patterns are explored in the summer term through the process of poly printing, with reference to Buddhist Mandalas and Islamic Artwork. Students complete their year by being introduced to the Cubist art movement. Colour, shape and composition skills are further developed as students create their own celebrity cubist portraits. 

Year 8 begins with an introduction to the Pop Art movement. Students investigate artists including Wayne Theibaud, Andy Warhol and Claus Oldenberg. Drawing skills build in difficulty as students develop an understanding of how to create realism in their drawings, through the application of detailed texture and tone. Sarah Graham is a key inspirational figure in students’ acquisition of new, increasingly complex painting skills, as students learn how to mix tints and shades, blend with acrylic paint, use tone to create form as well as creating the illusion of highlights and shadows. Students have the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of materials and techniques throughout the Rainforest Project, including oil pastels, colour pencil, watercolours, pen work and wire sculpture. The engaging cross-curricular topic allows students to practise new processes in mixed media as well as opening discussion regarding the environment and climate change. The work of Rousseau and Eugene Seguy are the main sources of inspiration, however contemporary artists such as Damien Hurst and Yumi Okita are showcased, to demonstrate how the subject matter of animals (particularly insects) can be transferred to textile art and more controversial materials.  

The theme of pattern is revisited in the summer term, from a contemporary perspective. Students respond to the kaleidoscopic work of Beatriz Milhazes by producing complex collages, exploring layering techniques, and composition and using elements of Brazilian culture to inform their shapes and patterns. Year 8 concludes with a final design brief providing students with the opportunity to draw from imagination as they explore the process of illustration using contour drawing. Contemporary illustrators such as Jon Bugerman demonstrate how the design work produced links directly to industry and the wealth of Art and Design job opportunities that are available. 

Year 9 begins with a focus on drawing, with students being required to recall all of their previous knowledge and build on this, developing skills in hierarchy, overlap and proportions. 

Following this, students then have the opportunity to work more independently under the themes of natural/mechanical forms and by producing ‘Fantastic and Strange’ illustrations in response to literature. The intensity and challenge increases for students, as they explore the topic of portraits. Students learn the correct proportions of the face and how to apply these to their own portraiture work. Portraits are a fantastic way to trace the changes in visual art from past to present, further developing context in students’ work. With this in mind, a large range of artists working under this theme are showcased, including Hans Holbein, Modigliani, Degas, Rembrant, Magritte, Kahlo, Francis Bacon, Van Gogh, Chris Ofili and Julien Opie. Through comparing and contrasting the variety of approaches of the differing artists, students gain an understanding of how diverse our society’s views, values and appearances are, developing values of respect and tolerance.

The key stage ends with a short project focusing on Japanese artwork, in particular Manga. Students are  given the opportunity to respond to the work of Hayoa Mayazaki and produce their own manga style portrait. Students will build on their prior knowledge of portraiture however approach the topic with a different cultural perspective. 

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The content, concise sequencing  and key substantive knowledge through the five power concepts the department has chosen to teach, prepares a solid foundation for any student wishing to opt for the subject at GCSE. The content also provides students with key knowledge and skills in vital topics and movements that have shaped Art history and culture over time. Art at Co-op Academy Walkden provides an enjoyable and challenging curriculum, with the subject developing a continued and sustained interest in Art, for all students. The experience will also provide a personalised  journey and response for each student as the curriculum explores how art  explores what it is to be human. 

Key Stage 4

Art and Design

The Art and Design GCSE course enables students to continue their artistic journey, building upon existing practical skills and contextual knowledge. Students independently study traditional and contemporary artists, craftspeople, designers and cultures, in order to further develop their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Students complete two coursework projects throughout the AQA GCSE Art and Design course and begin an externally set task in the January of Year 11. The course content is devised in relation to offering a broad and balanced course covering a number of areas of art practice. Assessment, moderation and evaluation take place regularly within the department to ensure continuity and coverage of the following assessment objectives:

Assessment Objective 1: Developing ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and cultural understanding.

Assessment Objective 2: Refining ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes.

Assessment Objective 3: Recording ideas, observations and insights relevant to your intentions in visual and/or other forms.

Assessment Objective 4: Presenting a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding, realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.

Component – Unit 1 (Portfolio) 60% weighting.

Component – Unit 2 (Externally set exam) 40% weighting.

Initially, students develop an understanding of the creative cycle: research, development, recording, experimentation, production and evaluation, through the completion of their first project. The first project focuses upon students’ understanding of other cultures, traditions and painting techniques. Students are introduced to a range of ancient and modern cultures before investigating two cultures in depth. Students then work to collect information through observational drawing, photography, annotations, mind maps and image collection, linking to their chosen cultures. To develop their initial findings, students are then introduced to masks from various cultures; both ancient and modern, from which they can analyse and use as further inspiration. Students use these critical studies to develop their own ideas through design work and a variety of paint techniques. Samples are refined, reflecting the cultures of their choice and a personal response to the theme is created in the form of a large painting. 

To fully prepare students for their externally set task, their second and final project is one of personal choice. Students take ownership of their creative journey and choose their own starting point, building upon the understanding and skills that have been developed throughout the entire Art and Design course. At this point, students are prepared to produce their own work, building upon a depth and range of prior knowledge and articulating creative ideas through a range of media, acknowledging their artistic inspiration. Students work through the creative cycle, acknowledging all assessment objectives using sketchbooks and/or design sheets to build a personal response and substantial artistic portfolio.

Photography KS4

Photography also follows the GCSE AQA syllabus. The course mirrors the Art and Design components as well as the assessment objectives described above.  Students complete three coursework projects throughout the course and begin an externally set task in the January of Year 11. 

Students begin the GCSE course by acquiring a wide range of new skills, including camera settings, ISO, aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, composition, presentation and an introduction to Photoshop. Students are required to build on their prior knowledge of the formal elements taught at Key Stage 3 by representing each of the elements through photography using a combination of the camera techniques acquired. The first term concludes with a mini project where students are asked to implement their new skills in response to the theme ‘Abstract.’ 

Student’s second coursework project is based on the theme of ‘Light and Dark.’ Students develop a personal interpretation of the theme, whilst developing further skills, including on/off site photography, flash photography, soft lighting, double exposure, colour lighting and filters, post production – Photoshop layers and filtering. Students work through the creative cycle, acknowledging all of the assessment objectives and present their investigations, research and personal responses in the form of an ePortfolio.

The final coursework project allows students to choose a theme from a range of starting points presented to them. Students are required to draw upon the understanding and skills that have been developed throughout their entire Key Stage 3 and 4 experience. The project requires students to demonstrate the following elements: physical personal responses, selection of appropriate skills and techniques, independent investigations, analysis, annotation and evaluation, compositional sketches and storyboards. Students have the choice to present their responses in the form of sketchbooks, presentation boards and/or ePortfolio.

From studying Art and Design GCSE, you can go on to study Art and Design A-Level or a BTEC Level 3. This can lead to studying all sorts of subjects at University or onto exciting art based apprenticeships. For example:

• Architect;
• Product and interior design;
• Illustration;
• Game design;

Check out the range of apprenticeships here for which you need good art skills or take a look at some more information about Art based degrees here.

Some universities require you to have a foundation degree in Art and design. So, it’s worth looking at colleges and universities that have a good reputation for these. For example, in our local area, Manchester Metropolitan University runs an art foundation course.

Studying Art and Design can lead you to study a wide variety of subjects at University. Such as:

• Print Making;
• Knitwear design;
• Jewellery and Silversmithing;
• Typography.

Have a look at the UCAS website to see how many different combinations you can do.

The Curriculum Overview provides information as to how the curriculum is sequenced to enable students to build their knowledge and skills towards ambitious endpoints in each subject area. Click the picture to enlarge it and read more. Each terms’ learning is complemented by a knowledge organiser. 

Art

Photography 

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