The North School

ART

KEY STAGE 3

YEAR 7

Unit No	Title	Description
Unit 7a	Foundation Skills: Drawing	Basic principles used in drawing: Creating a line drawing Adding a variety of tones Showing texture and pattern Building up drawings with a series of basic shapes. Natural and man-made forms. How to show perspective. Creating drawings with pencil, charcoal and chalk.
Unit 7b	Recreating Landscapes: Painting	Basic principles used in painting: Colour-mixing Mark-making Using colour to create mood and atmosphere Perspective How to show depth in a painting Artist study on the work of Vincent Van Gogh Copy of a landscape by Van Gogh, showing all the principles learnt.
Unit 7c	What's in a Building?: Sculpture/Architecture	Architectural periods Architectural styles Group work Group presentation Artist study on the work of the sculptor Brancusi Creating simple forms in clay Creating a sculpture in the style of Brancusi Creating an architectural drawing Creating a castle using wire and clay (Cross-curricular with History project and visit to Canterbury Cathedral)
Unit 7d	Self-Image: Print-making	Basic principles used in print-making: Portraiture Mono-printing Lino-printing Artist study on Andy Warhol Portrait art Identity

YEAR 8

Unit No	Title	Description
Unit 8a	Objects & Viewpoints: Drawing & Collage	Students will build on the skills they have learned in Year 7, and will learn more about the following methods or processes: Observational drawing Adding a variety of tones Viewpoints Texture Collage Cubism Students will ultimately create a collage of their own in the Cubist style.
Unit 8b	Animating Art	Students will build on the skills they have learned in Year 7, and will learn more about the following areas, methods or processes: Facial expressions Body Language Proportion of the body Sculpture of the body One of the following sculptors: Alberto Giacometti or Anthony Gormley Creating a storyboard and planning frames for an animation Photographing frames Using a computer to create an animation from their photographs
Unit 8c	Shared View: World Art	Students will build on the skills they have learned in Year 7, and will learn more about the following areas, methods or processes: Art of a culture from around the world; e.g. Aboriginal Art, Native American, or Japanese Art. How to recreate a piece of art in the same style.

YEAR 9

Unit No	Title	Description
Unit 9a	What is Art?	During year 9, Art joins a 'carousel' with our Technology Faculty, which allows our students to experience a variety of creative subjects over a six week period. This will take place for half a year, and then the students will have the choice of choosing one of these subjects as an option for the rest of the year. Students will complete a project focusing on the human form and will be encouraged to produce work that shows a personal response. Students will begin the project by sketching and drawing the human form. They will then use their studies to create a small-scale sculpture. Using the sculpture as a guide, they will create a plasticine form which they will animate. Finally, using the photgraphs they used for their animation, they will create a variety of prints. The project is designed to find areas of art in which the students are confident or talented.
Unit 9b		During the final half of the year, students will respond to their choice of the following briefs: Life Events, Monster Faces, Private Place, Public Space. They can choose any of the following forms of art to complete this work: Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Animation, Print-making.

KEY STAGE 4

Year 10 and 11 ART GCSE

Students generate work from set project briefs, and will pursue an in-depth study of themes, artists and concepts whilst analysing and commenting on the context of their own and other artists' work. Emphasis is placed on art as a process that requires students to research, explore media and materials, develop ideas and make connections with the work of other artists as well as reviewing, modifying and refining their work as it progresses. Students are encouraged to develop their ideas using traditional and contemporary methods, materials and styles culminating in the production of some really exciting artwork. We maintain close links with Ashford School of Art and Design and, where possible, arrange for students to attend exhibitions and workshops.

VISITS AND ACTIVITIES

The students are encouraged to participate in local, regional, national and international competitions. There are few things better than winning, to boost confidence and self esteem.

A group of our Year 8 students are currently taking part in a Creative Partnerships programme, in association with KCC. They have been working with the film-maker Laura Baylem, and have been developing their skills in the following areas:

Story-telling
Code-breaking
Script-writing
Acting
Filming
Editing
Creating an activity in which our Year 7 students can participate.

All students are regularly encouraged to take part in competitions, and our Year 7s have recently submitted work to Google to try to win a trip to America for their family and computer equipment for the school.

During October we shall be taking a group of our Year 10 & 11 GCSE students to the Tate Britain and the National Gallery. At the Tate they will take part in a workshop exploring how to collect information using a sketchpad. At the National Gallery they will put these skills into practice, and gather infomation for their GCSE coursework.

During our Wednesday afternoon Enrichment Time we offer GCSE Photography (for Years 8 & 9) and a Booster session for our GCSE classes.

Photography GCSE:

Year 1

Students begin by completing a Foundation Course, during which they learn the basic skills and principles of Still-Life photography. They then focus on Portrait Photography, and complete work on the theme of Identity.

Year 2

They learn the basic principles of landscape photography, build on their knowledge of producing photographs using Photoshop. They also learn techniques to create experimental photography, using effects on their camera, and on Photoshop.

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