Art and Design
Art and Design is an important aspect of the school curriculum. It promotes sensory exploration of all kinds and provides important opportunities for the support of ECM outcomes. Students enjoy Art and Design and can achieve some impressive results. In recent years the profile of Art and Design has been raised through the achievement of the ARTSMARK silver quality award.
The importance of Art and Design begins in foundation stage as children explore and learn through playing with paint and other materials such as clay.
In the primary department students access art and design in a more formal way although the emphasis on sensory exploration remains the same. Children follow Art and Design as a subject and are encourage to explore new ways of working and are provided with a range of opportunities to facilitate this.
Within the secondary department Art and Design becomes part of ‘Expressive Arts’, this combined approach to the Art forms of Art and Design, Dance, Drama and Music is important to the creative development of our students. Art forms combine to provide new and varied opportunities for exhibitions, performances, enjoying and achieving. At KS4 Expressive Arts forms part of the ASDAN ‘Transition Challenge’ Curriculum which is externally accredited.
The importance of creativity continues into the Post 16 department where students are required to complete at least one ‘creative module’ from the ASDAN ‘Towards Independence’ scheme. A number of modules which may be selected have an Art and Design focus, for example, ‘Making Pictures’ or ceramics. However, building from the work done within the secondary department most students prefer to follow a combined approach to The Arts, where Art and Design forms an essential part of the creative curriculum.
