Intent 

With this Art Craft and Design curriculum, we aim to ensure breadth of experience across different specialisms, allowing students the opportunity to explore materials and develop their technical skills as well as to express personal ideas and feelings. Projects are structured around broad themes which incorporate cultural and artist/designer references and allow students to investigate ideas and processes in a personal and imaginative way. We strongly encourage students to use diverse sources as references, looking at contemporary and historical examples of art, design and craft from Western and Non-Western cultures, in order to broaden their ‘cultural capital’ and understanding of the context in which art and design work is produced. 

Drawing, particularly from direct observation, is fundamental, and forms the basis of each project, but is approached in a variety of ways to be accessible to students of varying levels of skill. Students at all key stages work in sketchbooks, which record and reflect on their creative journeys and provide evidence of their developing skills and knowledge. Sketchbooks will also contain teacher assessment, feedback and targets, as the students constantly engage in the process of reviewing and refining their work. 

Implementation 

At KS3 the four progress objectives for students are: 

  • Generating Ideas based on close observation of objects, places and people, imagination, exploration, risk-taking and problem solving 
  • Making and developing practical outcomes by investigating properties of materials, learning techniques and understanding the formal elements of art and design 
  • Evaluating through analysing and interpreting creative art, craft and design work, reviewing, refining and annotating their own work and making connections between their own work and that of others 
  • Knowledge and understanding of other artists and designers and familiarity with artist movements, styles and genres 

At KS4 and 5, the four assessment objectives are broadly the same and link closely to those covered at KS3: 

  • Developing ideas through sustained investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources 
  • Refining ideas by exploring resources, selecting and experimenting with media, materials, techniques and processes and reviewing work as it develops 
  • Recording ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions 
  • Presenting a personal and meaningful response realising intentions and making connections with previous research