Welcome to the Art & Design Department

The Art and Design Department's Vision

The Art and Design Department at The English School is dedicated to nurturing critical thinking, visual literacy, and creativity in all students. Through an engaging, supportive, and collaborative classroom environment, we aim to foster independence and self-expression while inspiring a lifelong passion for the arts. Our curriculum celebrates the creative process over the final product, encouraging students to experiment, take risks, and discover their own unique solutions. By introducing students to a diverse selection of art and artists, we aim to inspire inclusivity, equity, and global citizenship, allowing students to see themselves represented and share their unique voices.

 

Departmental Aims and Ethos

Aligned with the school’s policy, the overarching goal of the Art and Design Department is to foster creativity, innovation, and inclusivity, preparing students for life and work in the 21st century. The aims of the Art and Design Department are to:

• Develop students’ knowledge of artistic techniques, processes, and the diverse cultural and historical contexts of art.
• Cultivate creativity and independent thinking through experimentation, problem-solving, and risk-taking.
• Encourage critical analysis and reflection in the study and creation of art.
• Provide opportunities for collaboration and communication through group projects and critique sessions.
• Introduce students to a diverse selection of art and artists, fostering a sense of global citizenship and cultural awareness.
• Equip students with 21st-century skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
• Foster visual literacy, enabling students to analyze, interpret, and create meaningful visual messages.
• Guide students in exploring personal and social themes through their artistic practice.
• Nurture qualities of empathy, imagination, and open-mindedness through exposure to diverse perspectives.
• Instil a lifelong appreciation for the arts, inspiring students to remain curious, inventive, and creative throughout their lives.

Curriculum

Year 1

• Term 1: Focus on colour theory, line, and drawing techniques through kinetic art projects.
  Skills: Hatching, cross-hatching, colour theory, optical illusions, Moiré patterns.
  Assessments: Drawing techniques, colour wheel, Moiré animation project.
• Term 2: Studies on optical illusions and organic forms with spiral and shell themes.
  Skills: Geometric patterns, shading, observational drawing from nature.
  Assessments: Optical illusion exercises, shell outlines, colour applications.
• Term 3: Digital interpretation of shells.
  Skills: Digital drawing, texture enhancement, close-up composition.
  Assessment: Digital shell artwork.

Year 2

• Term 1: Book cover re-interpretation focusing on emotional expression and design principles.
  Skills: Digital design, typography, traditional techniques.
  Assessments: Sketches, digital designs, final book cover.
• Term 2: Cross-disciplinary book cover design.
  Skills: Concept development, storytelling, feedback incorporation.
  Assessments: Digital studies, final creation.
• Term 3: Bookmark design exploring visual storytelling.
  Skills: Theme representation, sketching, material exploration.
  Assessment: Bookmark creation.

Year 3

• Term 1: Portrait studies emphasizing eye anatomy, tonal values, and character design.
  Skills: Detailed rendering, AI-assisted design.
  Assessments: Eye drawings, tonal studies, poster design.
• Term 2: Movie poster creation with a focus on setting, mood, and typography.
  Skills: Visual storytelling, digital tools.
  Assessments: Setting design, title/tagline, final poster.
• Term 3: Movie teaser creation via TikTok.
  Skills: Storyboarding, filming, social media tools.
  Assessment: TikTok teaser.

Year 4

• Term 1: Mastery of oil painting and figurative art.
  Skills: Blending, shading, gesture, close-up observation.
  Assessments: Oil painting, observational photography.
• Terms 2 & 3: Exploration of "Portals" in art.
  Skills: Brainstorming, sketching, abstract representation.
  Assessments: Final project inspired by field trips and themes.

Year 5

• Term 1: Contextual analysis and personal artistic responses.
  Skills: Research, photography, primary source responses.
  Assessments: Subject development, preparatory work.
• Term 2: Introduction to Component Two with new themes.
  Skills: Thematic exploration, sketching.
  Assessment: Final preparatory work.

Year 6

• Term 1: Advanced personal projects with observational drawing and contextual analysis.
  Skills: Accuracy, mood board creation, portfolio development.
  Assessments: Subject choice, observational drawings, semester review.
• Term 2: Preparatory studies for final projects.
  Skills: Concept exploration, technique experimentation.
  Assessment: Preparatory studies.

Year 7

• Term 1: Advanced personal projects integrating contextual and philosophical frameworks.
  Skills: Historical context, philosophical integration, conceptual building.
  Assessments: Observational drawings, personal study, final portfolio.
• Term 2: Component Two with a focus on creative documentation.
  Skills: Sketching, mock-ups, artistic development.
  Assessment: Final compilation of Component Two.