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Welcome to the Art Department
Introduction
The Art & Design department is situated in the John McIntosh Arts Centre. The aims of the department are for pupils to produce personal responses to the observed and imagined world. Pupils are encouraged to investigate a range of media and materials including painting, drawing and clay. During the year pupils are also able to visit site-specific parts of
London including museums and galleries to both develop and contextualise their work. Pupils have access to three studios and one ceramics room. There is also gallery space, known as the Paolozzi Gallery, used throughout the year for both the students and outside artists' exhibitions.
First, Second and Third Forms (Key Stage 3)
Art at Key stage 3 is based on a half term rotation where pupils move to different disciplines every half term therefore allowing then to investigate various techniques and projects.
Work at Key stage 3 is divided into three broad themes over the three years:
1st Form THE NATURAL WORLD
2nd Form THE HUMAN FIGURE
3rd Form THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND POPULAR CULTURE
First Form
In the first form students are given the opportunity to explore various drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and clay techniques in a variety of projects. Focus is very much on direct observation drawing and building up skills in various media. Areas covered include:
- Basic drawing techniques from direct observation
- Basic painting techniques: colour blending and mixing
- Basic ceramic techniques: slab building and thumb pots
- Introduction to artist, designers and craftsmen in the form of written and drawn research.
- Basic print techniques: card prints
Second Form
The second form aims to develop and extend the skills learnt in the first form. The pupils are given a broad range of topics and starting points, in the theme of the Human figure, in which they can further investigate their interests and ideas. They also get to work in paint, ceramics and design and Technology over the year. This is all supplemented with the artists, craftsmen and designers research to further develop the student’s knowledge.
Third Form
The third form is much the same as the first and second form with the theme of Popular culture and the built environment being the focus. Students are sometimes set projects specifically to create sets for the school plays and theatre productions that happen throughout the school year.
Fourth and Fifth-Forms (Key Stage 4)
GCSE Art
Coursework
The course consists of two modules, studied over two years that makes up 60% of the final grade:
Controlled assessment
The new GCSE course is designed to help students with coursework. Students are assessed throughout the year but only 40 hours is submitted for their final grade. This will then be presented at the end of the course, and exhibited in the summer show.
For more details please see look at OCR’s website.
The themes vary year to year and are decided by teachers through group discussion.
The structure follows the exam board marking criteria with focus:
- Contextualised study
- Initial broad starting points
- A cultural theme for at least one module
- A contrasting second module that enables the students to investigate different and contrasting subject matter
Timed Test
- The final, timed test is of 10 hours duration and accounts for 40% of the final grade.
- Students are given six weeks preparatory time prior to the exam.
- OCR gives a number of starting points for the students to work from.
For more details please see the below link on OCR’s website.
AS Art Course Structure
Coursework
Coursework makes up 60% of the final mark.
Students are given a broad theme as an initial starting point, examples being ‘My London’. They are then expected to work far more independently than at the GCSE stage allowing them to explore the theme in their own chosen area. The theme is then personally investigated in a number of ways:
- An initial trip or multiple trips for students, usually to an area of interest or
London’s many museums or galleries.
- A huge range of media studied, including week on week in the first term.
- Contextualised reference in the form of research of artists, craftsmen and designers that then feed back into the students work.
- A final outcome based on the initial research and development.
- Tutorials and tracking of students throughout the year.
Controlled Test
The final exam makes up 40% of the final mark.
The theme is set by the exam board and varies year on year. It is a general theme, much the same as the coursework, and students are given 6 weeks preparation time culminating in a controlled 8-hour final piece.
Students are expected to use the knowledge gained in the coursework to inform their preparation time, investigating relevant artists, craftsmen and designers and collecting resources to fully develop the theme.
A2 Art Course Structure
Student’s work on their own theme over the year and the aim is for work to become personal and informed by a contextual research, chosen by the students. This should relate to their ongoing work. A greater emphasis on individual working practice is essential at this stage, so as students can develop their own style.
Many of the students who study at A2 go on to foundation courses at places such as Wimbledon, Camberwell and
Chelsea.
History of Art (AS Level)
The History of Art course has proven to be popular and successful. The pupils who select this course are interested in pursuing a more thorough and intensive investigation into the art of the past, through a visual analysis of paintings, sculptures and architecture.
The course is available to anyone whose aesthetic appreciation is willing to be enriched by an informed and intelligent look at the social, historical and political context concerning works of art.
There are organised trips to the major museums and galleries in London in order to engage with the artworks on a more intimate level, as well as an overseas visit to one or more cultural centres (previous trips have included Rome, Florence and Sienna). The course contains two units:
Unit 1
Ways of seeing, concentrates on the visual interpretation of works of art; the more formal aspects contained within artworks and how a deeper understanding can be achieved through looking and analysis.
Unit 2
Themes in Art History deals more with an overall knowledge concerning context and the ability to answer questions that require a sound understanding of the dynamics within the different artistic ideas over the last two and a half thousand years. Pupils will be expected to use examples from key periods in Art History, often employing a comparative method to illustrate their ideas.
Pupils answer three questions out of a possible eight themed topics.
The course is popular and immensely helpful to those pupils studying Art at AS and A2 level, as it gives them a background context in which to place their own work.
Art Club
Art club takes place once a week, for an hour. This is where students can both explore their own ideas and techniques and a chance for students to catch up on work missed during the year. Students have access to all facilities and materials and an art teacher on hand to help with any technical problems.
Pottery Club
This runs after school once a week for one hour, is open to all the school, and gives the students the opportunity to explore any areas of pottery they wish. Students have access to all the pottery facilities as well as having a teacher to help with their progress.
It is also a great opportunity for students to catch up on any unfinished work that is carried out in the lessons.
Teaching Staff
Mr D Deegan (Head of Art & Design) ddeegan@los.ac
Mr A Rigano (Second in Department)
Mr M MacDermot
Mrs C Simpson
Miss S Watson
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