Maplewell Hall School has a recently renovated Art and Design room that has a wealth of resources to promote creativity and development of skills. It is taught by specialist teachers who are experienced with a wide range of art skills and techniques. The curriculum has been planned to allow students to explore a variety of art techniques, including drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, printing and collage. It is also important that they learn about a wide variety of artists and art movements, both historical and contemporary, European and the wider world. They build on this knowledge throughout Key Stage 3 in order to prepare them fully for the Art GCSE qualification, should students choose to study it.
Within the subject, students will cover the following skills:
- Research and analysis
- Idea development and evaluation
- Sculpture skills in clay, card, textiles and mixed media
- Drawing, painting and printing skills
- Social skills and communication
- Fine and gross motor skills development
Within the subject pupils are encouraged to work independently so that they are able to build a wealth of skills in preparation for Key Stage 4 when they can choose the subject as a GCSE option. Students work in sketchbooks and on larger scale pieces. It is also important that students experience art in different environments and work with artists outside of the school. Art trips include visits to the Interactive Van Gogh Exhibition in Leicester and the Leicester City Art Gallery. There are also opportunities for artists to come into school to work with students and develop their skills in a variety of media.
Learning for Life
- Students build on basic drawing skills such as tone, mark making for texture, shape, form and proportion and colour theory.
- Students further develop clay skill by creating clay pots based on facial features.
- Students will develop art textile skills by exploring felt making techniques creating landscape pieces inspired by Van Gogh’s paintings.
- Students will explore art textile techniques by exploring weaving techniques and working in the style of Xenobia Bailey.
- Students will look at the Op Art movement and the artists who work in their style, creating their own Op Art inspired pieces.
Click HERE for Learning for Life pathway
Year 7
- Students build on basic drawing skills such as tone, mark making for texture, shape, form and proportion. Students will work in the style of Tim Jeffs.
- Students will learn about colour theory and work in the style of artist Kieth Haring and Karen Gilmore.
- Students will explore 3D card sculpture techniques and work in the style of Darrell Wakelam.
Students explore the properties of clay, creating clay gnomes.
Click HERE for Year 7 pathway
Year 8
- Students further develop clay skill by creating clay pots based on facial features.
- Students will look at the Op Art movement and the artists who work in their style, creating their own Op Art inspired pieces.
- Students will develop art textile skills by exploring felt making techniques creating landscape pieces inspired by Van Gogh’s paintings.
- Students will explore art textile techniques by exploring weaving techniques and working in the style of Xenobia Bailey.
Click HERE for Year 8 pathway
Year 9
- Students explore architecture and improve their observational and one point perspective drawing technique and their painting skills. Artist studied include Lucy Jones, and they will produce work in her collage mixed media style.
- Students will explore the Maori culture and develop sculpture skills. These sculptures will be displayed in the school grounds.
- Students explore portraiture and the use of abstraction within portraiture.
- Students look at the Hyper Realism movement and hone their drawing and colour skills to show realism within their work.
Click HERE for Year 9 pathway
Year 10 and 11
Students can opt to choose Art and Design at Key Stage 4. The students complete a GCSE in Art and Design over two years. They will learn the following skills;
Drawing and painting in a variety of styles.
Sculpture and construction techniques.
Use of ICT to complete research and analysis.
Ideas development through experimentation and drawing.
Collage and printing techniques.
Use of photography and digital art.
Click HERE for Year 10 pathway
Click HERE for year 11 pathway
Students are will complete coursework which comprises of several projects including Sweets and Cakes, Portraiture and The Figure. Coursework includes research into and analysis of artists, craftspeople and art movements. Students are expected to work from primary and secondary sources and should take and manipulate their own photos to work from. They will have to create initial ideas which they develop into final, large scale pieces.
Art coursework is completed throughout year 10 and the Autumn term of year 11 and accounts for 60% of the final grade, with a final 10 hours exam accounting for the other 40%. The exam questions are given to students in the Spring term of year 11 and students have time in lessons and at home to prepare for their exam which takes place around Easter of year 11.