Wildern Art department is a thriving and lively department, which has a long-standing history of exceptional results gained through high-quality creative teaching and a wealth of talented students. The Art Staff consists of 6 members of staff with varied Art Degrees and practising artists, teaching across both Key Stage 3 and 4, delivering a wide range of art specialisms. Student artwork is of an exquisitely high standard and displayed around the school site, the Wildern Art Department students consistently win and contribute to local and national art and photography competitions.
Art KS3 classes are mixed ability; Yr 7 & 8 students have one hour of Art a week. Students work through theme-based projects that give them the opportunity to learn about a wide range of artists, alongside broadening and deepening their art knowledge and skills. Students are assessed using Wildern Steps and also via a baseline test at the start of year 7, and an end of Key Stage 3 Assessment Project. Students have high-quality sketchbooks to complete class work and all Self Study tasks in; these are regularly marked and feedforward comments given. Due to the nature and detail of Art Self Study the standard set for each year group at KS3 is 3 per half term, students are also encouraged to use Google Classroom to assist with Self Study tasks.
At KS4 Art and Photography students are taught once again in mixed ability classes of approximately 26/28 pupils, the AQA exam board is used and pupils are introduced to the 4 Assessment Criteria from the start of the GCSE course, 60% of the final GCSE grade is coursework based, and on average students submit 2 units of coursework. Students have 5 art lessons a fortnight and once again work through project briefs. Students have either an A3 sketchbook/ workbook, and are given the opportunity to visit a gallery during year 9. A 5 hour year 10 exam is undertaken by students, alongside a full practice exam of 10 hours prior to the actual GCSE Exam in May.
Students' enjoyment and understanding of the observed world is enhanced through engaging in art, photography and design, and the inner worlds of feelings, imagination, reason and practical thinking are explored, they see that there can be changes and improvements, and will be taught and learn to take pleasure in producing good work through their increasing mastery of art, photography and a range of techniques, and they learn to value critically the contributions of artists, photographers and designers in society. Young people need to have visually literacy to operate successfully in society. Visual images enter everyone's life through mass and social media, they carry information and ideas within popular culture, and they are the vehicle for an exploration by artists and designers of the most complex human ideas. It is important that each generation understands the origins and purposes behind the art and artifacts of its own time, and measure them against works from the past and other contemporary cultures. Students who are visually literate gain more control over their own work and are better able to understand, enjoy and discriminate between the images and objects that appear both in the familiar environments of home and neighbourhood, and in less familiar places, such as galleries and museums.
Art at Wildern School is a discreet subject area within the Creative Arts department. The Art Department is located in block 2, alongside the well-equipped LRC, it has 4 large dedicated Art rooms which are all fully equipped. One classrooms hosts the Kiln room, where two kilns are in constant use, all classrooms are used for the teaching of clay. Ceramic is taught at KS3 and 4 alongside drawing, painting, printing, 3D work, art textiles, photography etc. Each of the art rooms are equipped with PC’s connected to the school system.
Art Curriculum: results at KS4 show that students achieve high quality attainment and make exceptional progress; the curriculum is built in such a way so as to enable students to develop, embed and consolidate knowledge, skills and understanding with a cohesive flow from KS3 to KS4 and the GCSE specification. The use of DATA enables teachers to monitor, guide and facilitate progress. KS4 students are encouraged to be imaginative, independent and work with self management skills. Â
Art skills are scaffolded across a range of formal elements from year 7; these are revisited in more depth and built upon in year 8, reflection is a key aspect. In Year 9 students continue to embed and master many aspects of Art and Photography prior to embarking on their GCSE course.Â
Curiosity, creativity, imagination and flair are all encouraged and usually the result of students taking creative risks with their art work and ideas, building both creative courage and resilience. Â
The opportunity to make links with other curriculums and subject areas are often sought in order to deepen students understanding of the Art and Photography curriculum area, enrichment opportunities and extensions of learning are tailored to individual student needs. Utilising new technologies makes the design of the curriculum innovative and a range of teaching and learning strategies offer broad and balanced learning opportunities and experiences for students, consistently embedding and mastering skills.Â
Opportunities beyond the classroom have been established over a long period of time, with cross curricular and enrichment projects at KS3/4, the importance of being a Global Citizen is explored through SMSC discussions of artists and artwork and their impact locally, nationally and internationally, the concept of Life Long Learners is modelled by teaching staff and disseminated to students. Â
Ken Robinson: Imagination is the source of all human achievement. Â
