Art at Abbotsholme

The purpose of Art at Abbotsholme is to encourage pupils to communicate ideas, feelings and emotions in visual terms. They will learn to observe and record differences in relationships between forms; have a sense of craftsmanship and a sense of inventiveness. They will be encouraged to work independently and develop their own ideas to realisation. Pupils will understand how artworks are part of an historical and cultural continuum and they will be able to make judgements about the aesthetic merit and qualities of a work of art through their command of the critical vocabulary relevant to discussing and writing about art. The individual pupil will be able to see the relevance of the visual arts to their own lives.

Years 7-9: Pupils will begin their exploration of a wide range of materials and there potential uses within the framework of a series of project briefs. For example, a project based on a photographic image of an animal could be developed into a final piece using drawing, painting (with acrylic or watercolour), ceramic work and computer work.  The aim is to build and develop the individual pupil’s skill base.

Years 10-11: Pupils follow the Edexcel specification for the GCSE in Art & Design: Fine Art.  The focus of the course in Year 10 is the continued development of a pupil’s ability to use materials confidently, alongside an emphasis on the development of an independent approach to Art making.  By Year 11 pupils will be able to use most, or all, of the materials and processes they have been introduced to with confidence and they will have developed their own working practises in preparation for the final exam.

Years 12–13: Pupils who have developed their skills to the acceptable level may wish to continue studying Art at A Level following Edexcel’s Art & Design: Fine Art specification.  At AS level pupils follow a brief designed to allow the pupil to develop their Art making practise in as independent a way as possible, as well as allowing them to develop an increasingly sophisticated use of materials and processes. At A2 pupils negotiate their final project through discussion with their teacher.  Both AS and A2 culminate in an exam based on a theme set by the examining board.