Art & Photography – Visual Arts

Curriculum Intent

We believe that all learners are entitled to access high quality visual arts education. The visual arts inspire knowledge, appreciation, and creation of culture. Cultural experiences that broaden an individual’s experience are a basic human right that is fundamental to human dignity and identity as well as promoting social justice and participation within contemporary societies. Visual art is a very powerful tool.

The Visual Arts are fundamental to expression in addition to playing a significant role in the existence and character of being human. Learning in Visual Arts enables students to realise that everything they encounter has been designed and made by someone, whose design is initially manifested on paper with pencil. Our aim is for learners to explore and visualise the breadth of the subject and to recognise the value of Visual Arts for its aesthetic and well-being qualities.

The Visual Arts curriculum develops learners’ ability to think critically and imaginatively, is systematic in the creative process, nurtures artistic behaviours, and is tailored to combine ‘making’ alongside developing a rich knowledge of the arts and the artists who created them. Moreover, the curriculum has been designed as such to develop and place emphasis on visual literacy and aesthetic assessment.

Our aim is for learners to:

Take personal responsibility for their creative intentions and show mastery across a range of technical skills and media
Be exposed to, and impart knowledge of, significant historical and contemporary artists and craftspeople
Realise the relevance of the visual arts within a contemporary society.
Recognise their artistic potential and that the visual arts is inclusive
Be inquisitive, collaborative, imaginative, persistent, and disciplined. These are our habits of mind that encourage students to behave and think like artists
Have the courage to take creative risks
Be resilient and allow for mistakes
Show self-discipline and ambition when generating ideas
Be honest through critique and evaluation
Be able to understand themselves, be expressive, explore and experiment to make sense of the world around them, and to be visually literate, curious learners.

Results

In Photography last year, 59.3% of students achieved grades 9 to 5; and 83.3% achieved grades 9 to 4.

In Art last year, 54.1% of students achieved grades 9 to 5; and 73% achieved grades 9 to 4.

What we study – Topic Overview

	Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
Year 7	Baseline assessment	Mechanical forms	Mechanical forms	Mechanical forms	Still-life/Vanitas	Still-life/Vanitas
Year 8	Day of the Dead	Day of the Dead	Food project	Food project	Landscape	Landscape
Year 9	Architecture	Architecture	Architecture	Distorted human figure	Distorted human Figure	Distorted human Figure
Year 10 – Fine Art	Skills workshops	Project 1	Project 1	Project 1	Skills workshops	Project 2
Year 11 – Fine Art	Project 2 (Detail)	Project 2	ESA	ESA	ESA
Year 10 – Photography	Skills workshops	Project 1	Project 1	Project 1	Skills workshops	Project 2
Year 11 – Photography	Project 2	Project 2	ESA	ESA	ESA

How we assess

Assessment in Visual Arts is holistic at KS3 and 4 with the whole product from start to finish being the measure of a student’s ability. This typically takes the form of sketchbook-based project work in addition to final pieces. In KS3, students’ work is looked at as a whole against the Habits of Mind criteria. The Habits of Mind are designed to consider the demonstration of artistic behaviours: inquisitiveness, collaboration, persistence, application of disciplines, and imagination. The assessment model in KS3 is designed as a prerequisite for GCSE level study where students are assessed against 4 objects; AO1: develop an idea through investigations, AO2: refine an idea through purposeful experimentation, AO3: record ideas and insights, AO4: present a personal and informed outcome.

All students will study Art throughout Years 7 and 8 at The Dorcan Academy and may choose to continue to follow through to GCSE.

In Year 7 and 8, all students have 2 lessons a fortnight. In Year 9 students, that have selected to specialise in Art will receive 4 lessons a fortnight.

Students in Year 10 and 11 that select Art as an option subject will receive 5 lessons a fortnight.