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Smithdon High School

Art and Design Department

Take a look around you: everything you see is art: the chair you sit in has been designed; the clothes you stand in have been made; the transport you travel by has been constructed… This is why we believe art is important and are delighted to offer you a well-structured  curriculum that sees a wide range of skills being used and developed in a spiral curriculum, where each topic is studied in more depth throughout your years at Smithdon.

Welcome to Smithdon High School’s Art and Design department.

The department is made up of a team of creative, dedicated and inspiring artists, who are passionate about sharing that creativity and encouraging students to explore their own innovative creations.

Mrs Wheeler Head of Faculty 
Miss Ruskin Teacher of Art & DT
Mrs Coe  Faculty Technician
Ms Butcher Faculty Technician

 

Art is created in a range of careers – from fashion designers to builders to fine artists – but more than that: art is seen by everyone everywhere, every day. We are able to communicate with others through the use of drawing from a very early age and continue to use pictures and graphics to portray messages as life evolves.

Art Curriculum

The curriculum at Smithdon aims to provide a level of independence when it comes to art, through the development of visual communication. We try to ensure each student is an individual, who creates original pieces of work. This is done through a range of differentiated activities that involve responding to the work of artists, employing techniques and elements of their work in students’ own work.

From Key Stage 3, students discover a wide range of techniques and media used by artists and, through into Key Stage 4, they enhance and build upon these learnt skills to create purposeful outcomes. Throughout their journey, students make independent decisions about their work, discover their own working style, and deliver refined pieces from a range of experimentations.

Study art…become independent…become you!

Art KS3 Curriculum Topics


 

 

Autumn Term
1

Autumn Term
2

Spring Term
 1

Spring Term
2

Summer Term 1

Summer Term 2 

Year
7

Learning to See:
Using the pencil to create different tones.

Pencil tones and tonal gradation

Mark making and texture
Using pencil

Mark making and Impressionism through paint

Impressionism and Van Gogh - through Paint

Installation through Mixed Media.

Year
8

Colour Wheel
colour relationships and tonal blending through Colour pencil

Observational drawing through colour pencil

Typography through printmaking

Typography and the art of lettering through collage.

Typography though painting.

Colour culture through looking at arrange of artists and mixed media.

Year
9

Illustrative art - 
looking at artist Lucy McLaughlan and automatic drawing using fine liner

Illustrative art through printmaking

Observational drawing through pencil and biro

Observational drawing through pencil and biro

Pattern within art - 
looking at Mandallas and artist, Dan Hillier

Pattern within art - 
looking at Mandallas and artist, Dan Hillier

Art KS4 Curriculum Topics

 

 

Autumn
Term 1

Autumn
Term 2

Spring
Term 1

Spring
Term 2

Summer
Term 1

Summer
Term 2

Year
10

Independent Coursework 1

Similarities &/or
Differences

 

Independent Coursework 1

Similarities &/or
Differences

Independent Coursework 1

Similarities &/or
Differences

Final Piece

Independent Coursework 1

Similarities &/or
Differences

Final Piece

Independent Coursework 2

Ordinary &/or
Extraordinary

Independent Coursework 2

Ordinary &/or
Extraordinary

Year
11

Independent Coursework 2

Similarities &/or Differences

Independent Coursework 2

Similarities &/or Differences

Independent Coursework 2

Similarities &/or
Differences

Final piece

Independent Coursework 2

Similarities &/or
Differences

Final piece

Moderation