Why do we learn Art?
Head of Department
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Studying Art at GCSE
Year 10
Year 11

Why do we learn Art?

Ark Alexandra’s Art & Photography Curriculum aims to: 

  • Inspire a love of creating and provide opportunities for students to experiment with a range of materials and techniques.

    • Develop an interest in traditional and contemporary art from the local community and the wider world.

    • Nurture students’ ability and confidence to independently express themselves.

    Christian Values

    Students are encouraged to reflect which is a distinctive principle of Christianity and other faiths. They also learn to celebrate difference by acknowledging individuality and the understanding that every person deserves to be valued.

Head of Department

Head of Art and Design Technology

Kelly Hawes

Leader of Art and Design Technology

Sonny Woodhead

Year 7

Students will:

  • be introduced to the art formal elements - line, shape, tone, form, texture, pattern, colour and space.  
  • apply their understanding of these through observational drawing of natural forms.   
  • create personal responses using pen and wash, and mark making techniques.   
  • be introduced to colour theory and apply this learning to abstract paintings.   
  • have the opportunity to explore 3D skills using clay, with a focus on the themes of environment and sense of place.  
  • be introduced to contemporary artists such as Lucy McLaughlin and Beatriz Milhaze.   

 

Autumn 1 Autumn 2 
Introduction to the Art Formal Elements Exploration of mark making 
  • Line, shape, tone, form, texture, pattern, colour and space. 
  • Observational drawing techniques. 
  • Experimental drawing techniques.              
  • Responding to contemporary artists that use a variety of techniques and starting points to their work.  
  • Applying ink and paint in experimental ways. 

 

Spring 1 Spring 2 
Colour Theory Introduced to abstraction and artists that use colour and shapes within their work to communicate ideas and concepts 
  • Colour wheel and colour relationships. 
  • Exploring ideas and personal responses.  
  • Introduction to the ideas of Abstraction.  
  • Develop paint techniques and skills such as blending and tonal value. 
  • Students will develop ideas based on the shapes and themes of their work (Beatriz Milhazes and Hilma Klint). 

 

Summer 1 Summer 2 
3D Project - The Environment Students will explore clay and its unique properties 
  • Exploring the theme of texture through coral reefs and the environment. 
  • We will create drawings exploring the form and texture of coral reefs and their unique properties using coloured pencil/charcoal.   
  • We will investigate Courtney Mattison who creates art inspired by the impact of climate change on marine life. Students will build on skills previously covered in Term 1 but in 3D. 
  • They will use the following techniques pinch pots, coils and experiment with surface design.  
  • They will create abstract designs inspired by their research and drawing in the previous term. 

 

 

All Year 7 subjects Next Year 7 Subject - Modern Foreign Languages

Year 8

Students will:

  • extend their understanding of the formal elements and apply them to different contexts.  
  • produce observational drawings based on ‘Still Life’.   
  • be introduced to contemporary artists who explore the theme of still life in their work such as Yayoi Kusama (Japanese artist) who are famous for their use of Polka Dots and installation work.   
  • be introduced to Michael Craig Martin who creates bright and bold paintings, exploring line and composition.    
  • expand upon their 3D skills and create ideas based around Greek myths and literature.  
  • learn how to freehand model clay.   
  • earn about a range of printing techniques and how to communicate visually through a variety of media and processes.  

 

Autumn 1 Autumn 2 
Observational drawing Develop composition studies. 
  • Proportion, scale and depth. 
  • Tonal values.  
  • Explore still life and be introduced to artists that communicate ideas and concepts creatively.  
  • Students will explore colour and use watercolour to create their responses.  
  • Develop their 3D design and make skills using clay, building on skills they have previously learnt in year 7. 
  • Fuse two artists' ideas together to make a personal response, that shows the student's hobbies/interests.  
  •  Use watercolour and fine liners.  
  • The artists students will investigate are Yayoi Kusama and Michael Craig Martin. 

 

 

Spring 1 Spring 2 
Greek Mythology 3D Clay designs 

Create 3D clay sculptures based on previous designs from Spring  

term one. 

  • :Students will explore three themes - Medusa's Head (Gorgon Bust) theme Transformation and Fear. Pandora's box, Theme Curiosity and consequence. Poseidon's trident, Theme Sea and Power.  
  • They will be introduced to the stories and translate into 2D ideas. 
  • Students will free hand sculpt and learn how to construct a model that explores rolling, pinching, slab building, scoring and slipping.   
  • Students will also use previous learning from year 7 to create texture. 

 

Summer 1 Summer 2 
Impressions of Culture Students will fuse the different ideas together and use symbols, patterns and motifs from specific cultural traditions 
  • Textiles stories through print.  
  • Exploring cultural identity and tradition through textile patterns using printmaking techniques such as collagraph, press plate printing and mono printing. 
  • Students will use symbols, patterns and motifs from specific cultural traditions such as African Kente, Japanese sashiko and Indian wood block prints. 
  • African Kente, Japanese Sashiko and Indian wood block prints.  
  • Students will design a repeating pattern that uses three colours and select the most appropriate print technique for their design. 

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All Year 8 subjects Next Year 8 Subject - Modern Foreign Languages

Year 9

Students will:

  • develop their painting skills and a deeper understanding of GCSE Art and Design.  
  • revisit mark making skills and apply this to their landscape drawing inspired by Van Gogh’s pencil and ink drawings.  
  • explore watercolour landscape painting and experiment with layering and blending.  
  • be introduced to Anselm Kiefer (German Artist) and the way he has been inspired by Van Gogh to create large scale assemblages.   
  • be introduced to The German Expressionist’s landscapes and use the Impasto technique using acrylic.   
  • be introduced to oil pastel and apply previous colour theory knowledge to respond to the German expressionists.  
  • be introduced to perspective and the different approaches to this drawing process - one, two and five-point perspective.   
  • learn how to document a creative journey that mirrors aspects of GCSE Art & Design: Investigation, experimentation with media, development, recording of ideas, and the creation of personal responses.   

 

Autumn 1 Autumn 2 
Sense of place Students will be introduced to the German Expressionists and their use of colour and application of materials and concepts behind their work 
  • Students will develop painting skills and artist research skills.  
  • They will use water colour/oil pastel. Exploring blending/layering/colour mixing.  
  • They will create landscape imagery inspired by traditional watercolour techniques.  
  • Students will be introduced to contemporary artists that experiment with collage, colour and impasto.   
  • Students will create more in-depth artist research that will inform their art practice. 

 

 

Spring 1 Spring 2 
Composition and Perspective Introduced to wide angle lens and how it can distort an image 
  • Students will be introduced to compositional devices such as Leading lines, Rule of Thirds, Rule of Space, and how this is affected by scale. Students will be able to identify these ideas in a range of photography and art work.  
  • Students will explore one and two point perspective, mouse eye view and bird's eye.  
  • They will develop their skills in tone, line and composition. 
  • Create five point perspective drawings and understand the process.  
  • Students will use their previous learning of watercolour and impasto to create personal responses.  
  • Students will think about the following in their final pieces: cultural landscapes, places of memory, imagination, mood & atmosphere, dark and light/daytime/nighttime scenes. 

 

Summer 1 Summer 2 

Surrealism 

Surrealism 

  • This project introduces students to Surrealism and encourages them to explore imagination, dreams and the subconscious mind through creative experimentation. Pupils will investigate the work of Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Max Ernst to understand how artists used symbolism, juxtaposition and unexpected imagery to challenge reality. Students will analyse Dalí’s photo-realistic dreamscapes, Magritte’s visual paradoxes and Ernst’s experimental techniques such as frottage and automatism. 
  • Throughout the project, learners will experiment with automatic drawing, exquisite corpse collaboration and textured surface processes to unlock subconscious ideas. They will explore metamorphosis and transformation, combining observational drawing skills with imaginative concepts. Emphasis will be placed on composition, scale, tone and contrast to create visually striking outcomes. 
  • Students will develop personal responses inspired by dreams, memory and imagination, refining ideas through sketchbook research and design development. The final outcome will be a resolved surrealist piece demonstrating strong technical control, creative risk-taking and clear links to artist research. This project aims to build confidence, independence and critical thinking while encouraging students to see art as a powerful tool for expressing inner thoughts and ideas beyond reality. 

 

All Year 9 subjects Next Year 9 Subject - Modern Foreign Languages

Studying Art at GCSE

Year 10

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Recording Observations Research and Experimentation

  • Introduction to assessment criteria 

  • Observation and recording skills 

  • Investigating contextual references 

  • Experimentation with materials, techniques and processes 
Spring 1 Spring 2

Development and Responses

 Independent Project

  • Recording observations 

  • Idea development and refinement  

  • Application of skills in own responses 

  • Investigation on a theme 

  • Initial responses and idea development 
Summer 1 Summer 2
Independent Project Independent Project

  • Contextual references 

  • Experimentation with materials, techniques and processes 

  • Idea development and refinement 

  • Application of skills in creation of personal responses 

All Year 10 subjects Next Year 10 Subject - Modern Foreign Languages

Year 11

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Independent Project Independent Project

  • Review intentions 

  • Artist Investigations 

  • Recording observations 

  • Experimentation and extending ideas 

  • Recording observations and experimentation 

  • Planning and refinement of ideas 

  • Creation of final response or responses 
Spring 1 Spring 2
Externally Set Exam Externally Set Exam

  • Exam paper - select a theme 

  • Research and investigations 

  • Initial responses  
  • Recording observations and idea development through a range of materials, techniques and processes 
Summer 1 Summer 2
Externally Set Exam -

  • Further experimentation and planning of refined ideas  

  • Creation of final responses 

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All Year 11 subjects Next Year 11 Subject - Modern Foreign Languages