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ART

Curriculum Design

The Art Curriculum at Cranbury College gives our students opportunities to explore their creativity, express themselves visually and appreciate the world of culture. We believe in ‘No Limits Learning’ and students do not feel there is a ‘cap’ on what grade they can get or what they can achieve in art.  We aim to provide them with the skills they need to really master creative skills, to gain an arts qualification.  Some of our students have gone on to study an Arts discipline, as well as gained employment in the creative industries.  Projects at all key-stages are student focused and designed to enable students to re-engage with learning. 

Students have opportunities to work with local artists to get involved with public Art.  They also benefit from outside practitioners coming to the college to do workshops on a variety of techniques, such as paper-making and special effects movie make-up.

Curriculum Implementation

KEY STAGE 3  

Students are given opportunities to work with different materials and techniques and are taught core skills.  Students have the opportunity to gain a Trinity College Discover/Explore Arts Award at KS3

In Years 7 & 8 students learn about Colour Theory, Mark-Making, Observational Drawing, Pattern and Shape through theme-based projects.  In Year 9 students are moved on to a more ‘GCSE-style’ Art curriculum where they consolidate their learnt skills within a sustained project leading to one or more resolved ideas.  Towards the end of Year 9 students can decide if they wish to focus more on an Arts Award qualification where they can focus on a challenge, sharing art skills and appreciation of the wider world of The Arts.

KEY STAGE 4  

At KS4, we continue to develop core skills, and now focus on ensuring students can demonstrate these and evidence them consistently at a high standard. 

Students have the opportunity to get an AQA GCSE in Art & Design, Fine Art 8202. For this course they will produce a portfolio of coursework focusing on a sustained theme of their choice. Besides this they need to submit a selection of further works.  Starting the spring term of Year 11 they will be given an external assignment from the exam board to pick one of 7 themes. They will then have until the first week of May to produce an exam preparation portfolio.  Starting the first week of May, students will take a Timed Art Exam over 2 or more consecutive days totalling 10 hours. The weighting of the qualification is 60% Coursework/Portfolio (Sustained Theme and selection of further works) and 40% Exam (this includes both the Timed Exam work and the Exam Preparation Portfolio)

Students also have the opportunity to gain a Trinity College Arts Award up to Bronze Award (Entry Level 3 Award in the Arts 600/3894/9 and Level 1 Award in the Arts 501/0081/6) Students following the Arts Award will be practising Visual Art but can access other forms of art within, the qualification, for example where a GCSE student may be studying a painter, an Arts Award student may be writing about a musician they admire.  Arts Award students will also be expected to teach each other skills, work collaboratively and to set themselves challenges.  As part of the course, they must work with at least one arts practitioner from outside the school.  They should also review an Arts event.

Hospital

Lessons are provided for both short-term and long-term patients and personalised learning journeys are created based on the needs of the students/patients. All curriculum plans are bespoke and are designed, taking into account the students' physical health, mental health and academic ability, in conjunction with the students' main registered school.