Art

The purpose of the Art curriculum is to: engage, inspire and challenge students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own work. Schemes of work are based on the National Curriculum and linked to topics to ensure a well-structured, sequential approach to learning. During their time at Holland Park, students will become proficient across a range of artistic disciplines, including drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media processes, utilising these skills to experiment and create work, which is ambitious in nature and demonstrates creative risks and genuine discovery. Each unit of study is rooted in contextual and conceptual links, allowing students to fluently discuss and reflect on the work of artists and a range of artistic movements to aid their creative development and critical understanding.

Our Art curriculum is underpinned by three core principles: Technical skill, Exploring materials and Critical understanding. These concepts are the ‘big ideas’ that shape our students’ thinking within the subject. The same core concepts are explored and revisited in each unit of work in every year group, ensuring the gradual progress of artistic skills and subject knowledge.

Key Stage 3

Year 7

The emphasis on students’ experience of Art and Design through Year 7 is to gain a key understanding, knowledge and skills and techniques inspired by the work of artists, artistic movements and cultures. The act of drawing: to observe and record is the foundation of all artistic expressions and it is there, that year 7 students begin to develop their understanding of different materials and techniques in 2 and 3 dimensions.

Year 8

The emphasis on students’ experience of Art and Design through Year 8 is to build upon knowledge, understanding, skills and techniques gained throughout Year 7, developing a greater sense of individuality and experimentation. Students continue to explore and refine their skills in a range of materials and techniques including, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media informed by the work of artists both contemporary and traditional. By the end of KS3 students will have been exposed to a broad range of materials, techniques and processes to support their transition to KS4.

Year 9

The Year 9 Art and Design Curriculum is designed to challenge students with ideas and concepts, as well as continuing to refine a range of skills and techniques across a wide range of media building upon the year 8 syllabus. Students are expected to work more independently and to reflect upon their selections when creating.

The KS3 art curriculum is designed to develop a foundation whereby students can confidently record and experiment in a range of materials and evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design, creating the building blocks of a smooth transition to KS4 and 5 level. The curriculum has been designed to allow for key skills, knowledge and techniques to be revisited over the three years in a series of different methods, to build upon what has been learnt and to ensure this is fully embedded. Each year 24 students enter the school through art aptitude and such students contribute strongly to the high profile of art in school.

Our Key Stage 4 curriculum enables students to refine their skills in a broad range of materials and techniques to develop a rich and in-depth understanding of artistic practices, broadening students’ creative thought.

Students will create a sustained project developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief evidencing the journey from initial engagement with an idea(s) to the realisation of intentions. This will give students the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across their course of study. Each unit is rooted in contextual and critical understanding of the work of artists to inform their personal work.

The KS5 programme of study encourages individuality and original creative expression. Students will study contemporary and historical artists and movements within a stimulating and challenging studio environment. Students will learn how to undertake complex and ambitious creative tasks covering a broad range of creative skills. Students are assessed on the same four assessment objectives as in the GCSE course, but in a more in-depth and advanced approach. This enables students to revisit, apply and extend prior knowledge of the artistic process to create well-developed, personal outcomes. The A-Level course offers the chance to develop your work in a variety of different materials and processes including: painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, etching, screen printing, monoprinting, photography and film. This component allows students opportunities to generate and develop ideas, research primary and contextual sources, record practical and written observations, experiment with media and processes, and refine ideas towards producing personal resolved outcome(s).

The coursework consists of 3 sketchbooks responding to internally set themes. In the past these themes have been ‘Inside/Outside’; ‘Freedom and Limitations’ and ‘Encounters’. The examination portfolio is in response to a theme set by the examination board. Coursework is worth 60% of overall A Level. Students will also write a 3000 word personal investigation to support their practical work. The examination portfolio is worth 40% and is in response to a theme set by the examination board.