In Years 7, 8 and 9 students follow a structured scheme of work that provides basic building block skills as well as opportunities to creatively interpret set briefs. Each student works in their own A5 sketchbook to record observations, experiment and design final pieces. All students are taught Art up to Year 9, when a large number opt to continue their studies at GCSE.

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
Colour Mark Making Under the Sea Blockheads Landscape	Architecture Identity Monsters and Aliens Food Glorious Food Bio-mimicry	Living Organisms Gothic Art African Art Cut Outs Eco-Fashion Show Japanese Art

At GCSE, students are encouraged to develop more refined skills and critically analyse their own and other artists’ work. This allows them to understand the context of their work and the inspiration behind different types of artwork.

Students will usually complete 3 projects from the list below and then undertake the externally set assignment after Christmas in Year 11.

Year 10	Year 11
Natural Forms East meets West Anatomical Drawing Close Up	Whimsical Creatures The Built Environment

Exam board: AQA GCSE Art, Craft and Design 8201

The course consists of 2 units; Coursework and an Externally Assessed Assignment. Coursework 60% consisting of project work based on a series of themes. Exam 40% A practical project selected from a range of starting points provided by the exam board, culminating in a final piece. Students have a preparatory period of approximately 4 months and then complete a 10 hour final piece. Find out more about this qualification.