Page: Department >  Secondary >  Subject > Art & Design

Subject:        Art & Design Department

Member/s of staff and title:       Mrs Stephanie Newman (Principal Teacher)         

Aims and Objectives:        Art and design are part of all aspects of our lives: what we wear; where we live, work and play, the signs and symbols we look at in our daily lives; the films and videos we watch; the adverts and posters that entice us; and how the Internet is used to communicate.

The principal aim of the Art & Design Department is to foster confidence in pupils’ own abilities in all aspects of the course – Art and Design is for all, not just a talented few – and to prepare pupils to live in a world which increasingly relies on visual messages.

Looking, selecting, making and creating with materials will enhance pupils’ lives, not just when they are at School, but on into adult life. The skills they learn are transferable into a number of life situations. Individual expression is encouraged and better understanding of our interaction with society is promoted.

 

S1/S2 SYLLABUS

S1 – one period per week

Four main units of work are covered with additional small units added as time allows:

DRAWING – this activity is central to all art and design activitieS.  In S1 shape awareness combined with use of media and techniques is the main focus, with the aim of instilling confidence.

COLOUR – confident use of colour and awareness of colour theory is encouraged through painting exercises, combined with media-handling and techniques.

DESIGN – using investigation, mind-mapping, planning sketches and making skills when working through a design process.

3D – skills relating to the development of ideas are further enhanced with planning for a 3D outcome. 

S2 – 2 periods per week

1 period is used for EXPRESSIVE work, 1 period is for DESIGN work. Students will also evaluate their own work and the work of artists and designers in relation to their classwork:

EXPRESSIVE: Drawing, colour and developmental skills are improved and enhanced and opportunities are given to develop personal artwork to given themes.

DESIGN: On completion of the 3D unit, a design brief is given – usually graphics packaging – and a design process of investigation, development of ideas, producing a solution to the brief and evaluation is followed. Some computer graphics are included.

ART & DESIGN STUDIES: artists working to a similar theme are studied alongside the Expressive unit, and aspects of design are studied pertinent to the Design unit.

An awareness of society is built into the work in the department – in Expressive work, themes like ‘Homeless’, ‘Travel’, ‘Where We Live’ are used, while recycling, sustainable materials and organic issues are a part of Design units.

Each pupil has a sketchbook/jotter in which a record of the course work is kept by the pupil and this continues from S1 into S2.

Homework in S1 and S2 is given in relation to work being undertaken in class, to reinforce, to give opportunities for personal research and to develop personal ideas.

S1/S2 Assessment:

Assessment in S1/S2 is continuous and is linked directly to the Art and Design Experiences and Outcomes of the Curriculum for Excellence. Summative assessment is recorded on spreadsheets and in “The Teacher’s Planner”. This includes reference to the grades/marks awarded to each part of an activity and any relevant comment about individual performance. Formative assessment at this stage is verbal (given on a one-to-one basis during class time and in class discussion which can involve peer assessment) and written (comments in students’ sketchbooks). Examinations are usually practical and based on recent work, applying skills to tasks given in advance of the exam – these are given percentage marks.

 

S3/S4 SYLLABUS

Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2- 3 periods per week

In S3 and S4 the time allocation allows one period for EXPRESSIVE work, one for Design work and one for Art & Design Studies. Flexibility is built into this framework, adapting to circumstances as required.

The students in S3 follow the Intermediate 1 course but there is, at this time, no intention to sit the Intermediate 1 course in S3; instead they work on their skills towards Intermediate 2 at the end of S4.

The work consists of three different units of work:

1.    EXPRESSIVE – producing personal work through exploration of a theme. A theme such as Portraiture, Figure Composition, Still Life and/or The Built & Natural Environment will be developed.

To complete a unit, students will focus their studies in the following three areas;

Research and Investigation – developing observational drawing and colour skills, investigating the use of different media, discovering appropriate source material to successfully express an idea visually, while working to a choice of themes.

Development studies – using drawing and colour skills to explore an idea in different ways, experimenting with composition for visual impact, and choosing appropriate media to produce the desired effect answering the chosen theme.

Final Outcome – producing a coherent visual image which successfully expresses the theme explored.

2.    DESIGN – working to a given design brief. Students’ work focuses in one of the following area Product Design, Graphics, Textiles and/or Jewellery.

To complete a unit, students will focus their studies in the following areas;

Research and Investigation – this consists of source studies to assist with the visual appearance of the design solution and market research which studies other designers’ solutions to a similar brief and investigation of suitable materials.

Development- Consideration of possibilities developed from the research and investigation of a variety of possible solutions to the given brief.

Solution – producing an outcome which answers the constraints of the design brief.

Evaluation – a written response to the design unit which explains the problems met and how they were solved.

3.    Art and Design Studies – This is always linked directly to Expressive and Design practical work – e.g. a jewellery unit will involve the study of jewellery designers and their work, a portrait unit will involve the study of portrait artists and their work. There is an external written exam which covers evaluation and knowledge and understanding of the work of artists and designers; responses to questions are practised in class.

The use of sketchbooks are encouraged and many homework exercises can be done in the sketchbook.

Homework always relates to class work and includes research into Artists and Designers to support the Visual Arts Study and the Design Study

S3/S4 Assessment

Assessment is continuous and links directly to the SQA Art and Design Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 assessment criteria.  Summative assessment and comments are recorded at the end of each unit. Formative assessment takes place in course reviews when student and teacher fill out an evaluation proforma. Following this, a personal work plan is drawn up with targets identified and set.

 

HIGHER SYLLABUS

HIGHER: 5 periods per week

The Higher course follows on from, and builds on the skills gained in the Intermediate 2 course. While the coursework still consists of three main units, the difference between Intermediate 2 and Higher is one of quality.

1.    EXPRESSIVE – Pupils decide on a theme of personal interest from a set of options and work their way through the unit, producing quality outcomes at each stage. The three stages are the same as Intermediate courses: research, development and final outcome.

2.    DESIGN – Pupils decide what they will produce, again from a set of options, and work their way through the design process in production of a design item. They can produce fashion items, performance costume, products, jewellery or graphics. The same design process is followed as in Intermediate courses.

3.    ART AND DESIGN STUDIES – These are completed for both the Expressive and Design units and should include a detailed study of appropriate artists, designers and their work enabling pupils to answer the questions in the written examination in June.

Sketchbooks are encouraged and many homework exercises can be done in the sketchbook.

Homework always relates to the work in the class, includes research into artists and designers and their work, essay writing, as well as drawing and colour studies.

This course may also be taken in S5 or S6 at Intermediate 2 level, if required.

Higher Assessment

Assessment is continuous and links directly to the SQA Art and Design Higher assessment criteria.  Summative assessment and comments are recorded at the end of each unit. Formative assessment takes place in course reviews when student and teacher fill out an evaluation proforma. Following this a personal work plan is drawn up with targets identified and set.

 

ADVANCED HIGHER SYLLABUS  

ADVANCED HIGHER: 6 periods per week

At Advanced Higher level, pupils can choose from one of the following four options: Expressive with Design; Expressive with Art and Design Studies (Expressive); Design with Expressive; or Design with Art and Design Studies (Design). Each option indicates a major unit and a minor unit.

The choice of theme should reflect the personal interests of the candidate and should be able to sustain a substantial body of work, including research, development and final outcomes as well as clear association with other artists and designers. Emphasis is placed on the student working on their own initiative and independent study.

Sketchbooks are an essential requirement of Advanced Higher Art & Design.

HIGHER OR INTERMEDIATE COURSE – 5 periods per week

In S6, Pupils may choose to do a Higher or an Intermediate course depending on experience and ability.

FREESTANDING UNIT

Pupils may also undertake a freestanding unit in either Expressive or Design as follows;

Expressive – 2 periods per week

A pupil can choose to produce an Expressive unit at Intermediate 2, Higher or Advanced Higher, according to their experience and ability level. An Advanced Higher unit would require a bigger time commitment of 3 – 4 periods per week.

Design – 2 periods per week

A pupil can choose to produce a Design unit at Intermediate 2, Higher or Advanced Higher, according to their experience and ability level. Similarly, an Advanced Higher unit would require more time.

Advanced Higher Assessment 

Formative assessment takes place in the form of course reviews at regular intervals throughout S6. From the course review, each student will devise a personal work plan.

Summative assessment occurs at the time of prelim exams, in the form of an estimated grade (as the folio work will be incomplete at this point).

Each student will self-evaluate at the presentation stage (usually April/May) when selection of relevant work and presentation of the work to be submitted for external assessment is taking place.