Photography

Curriculum intent

The arts are reflected in every aspect of everyday life. It surrounds our environment from the designing of our cities, to the clothes we wear and the devices that are used more and more in our busy lives.  Multiple careers choices from designing, entertainment, to fine art lie ahead for our students. In art and photography, we aim to pass on this love for all the arts. This is done through hard work and commitment, which will enable our students to understand there, is a vast array of influences out there. We will give them the knowledge to be able to show how this can inspire and inform the personal work produced. It always starts with understanding the basic elements, which allow our learners to transform those skills, as they develop and progress in an ever-changing world, which will continue to benefit from the creative arts.

Christian distinctiveness

The art curriculum promotes our Christian values through having a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about the world around them and participating pupils actively in artistic and creative activities. We promote tolerance through different people’s ideas, creative responses and understanding of different cultures and styles within art. Students’ are encouraged to question and explore sensitive and controversial issues, whilst maintaining tolerance and respect for the views and beliefs of others. Students’ discuss and work in the style of a wide variety of artists and designers. British art is studied through the curriculum. Students’ have the opportunity to work independently and as a team to build resilience and self-esteem through tasks, sharing ideas and resources, peer-assessment and encouraging students to support each other.

Knowledge in art

In the 5 year plan the knowledge will become more and more hierarchical as we constantly keep updating schemes as needed. Selecting influences which will inspire and inform the creative process. We expect our students to be aware of other cultural, social, moral and spiritual influences by looking at as many art, craft and designers as possible. We start developing key skills in year 7, which teach our pupils the importance of careful control of a range of media. The benefits of observing everything and the understanding of art movements, artists and designers. We look at how nations over the centuries have inspired their cultures and this allows us to cross over into numerous other subject areas as and when appropriate.

For those students who opt for our subject the schemes used allow for a very personal and ever increasingly independent portfolio. It has been devised to maximise the potential of all pupils. Initially direct instruction drives learning, but once the control and expertise of media is apparent in year eleven, students then need to develop ever increasing independence, as the 10 hour exam needs students to be able to make their own decisions and problem solve repeatedly. As a DAT academy, we strongly believe that creative practical skills are just as important as the expertise our students gain in numeracy and literacy. Our hinterland of creative and cultural knowledge permeates all areas in order that our students leave with a love of the creative arts that will last a lifetime.

Careers and aspirations

We know that our students successfully acquire places at local further educational establishments often unconditionally. They have the skills needed to move up the educational ladder in whatever their chosen specialism might be, and we aim to maintain this important level of success. We filter and scaffold careers information within our curriculums from early as year 7. A range of careers are accessible from studying Art; animator, artist illustrator, sculptor, technical illustrator, blacksmith, florist, glass designer, jewellery designer/maker, leather craftworker, picture framer, signwriter, stonemason, upholsterer, visual merchandiser, curator, museum director, art journalist, auctioneer.