Art
Introduction
The Art Department has a clear vision to create independent, creative minds. Our aim is to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which allows students to develop both their practical skills and conceptual understanding.
The Staff Team
Mrs E Corley has been Head of Art & Design at Chipping Norton School for nine years and teaching for over 20 years in Oxford and London. Her specialist interests are fine art and photography.
Miss L Dunn has over 7 years of experience teaching Art in the Oxford area and Coventry. She specialised in Illustration at University and carried on to do a Master’s in Visual Communication.
We are privileged to have 4 dedicated art rooms, including designated studio space just for A level art students. We have a new kiln and the facilities to teach clay and printmaking as well as the formal elements.
The Curriculum
Curriculum Roadmap
Click the image for a PDF
Key Stage 3
Year 7
An introduction to basic technical skills; the themes change but the disciplines covered are:
- Drawing; exploring tones, mark making and observation
- Painting; exploring colour theory, mixing and texture
- Printing; exploring mono printing, collagraph and poly block
- 3D; exploring various materials, methods and processes
Year 8
Expanding upon skills learnt in Year 7, alongside the development of critical studies and conceptual thinking.
The theme is “Identity” and topics covered are:
- Portraiture; learning about proportions and expression
- Symbolism; learning how meaning is conveyed within Art
- Identity (masks); learning about other cultures, experimenting with materials and processes
Year 9
Skills are developed towards GCSE expectations.
The theme changes, topics covered are:
- Critical studies; researching and responding to Artists
- Observational drawing; drawing from primary resources
- Experimentation of media; learning how to use various media and recognising the purpose involved in selecting media
- Final outcomes; developing an idea into a final piece of Art work
Key Stage 4
GCSE Art is run over a 2 year course including 2 coursework units and an externally set exam unit. Coursework is broken into two themes which change biannually. Students are marked according to 4 assessment objectives for both coursework and examination, these are:
- Develop their ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and cultural understanding.
- Refine their ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes.
- Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other forms.
- Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.
Final grades are marked on a ratio of 60:40
60% coursework – 40% examination
Examination Board – Edexcel
Students also visit Galleries and Museums to support their learning and we invite professional artists into school to run workshops with our GCSE students.
Key Stage 5 (A Level)
Students of AS and A2 Art are invited to attend a Residential Trip to Paris plus Museum and Gallery visits to support their studies. We also offer extra sessions in Life Drawing during the Autumn Term.
A level – coursework is made up of a single theme. Students are marked according to 4 assessment objectives for both coursework and examination, these are:
- Develop their ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical.
- Experiment with and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining their ideas as their work develops.
- Record in visual and/or other forms ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, demonstrating an ability to reflect on work and progress.
- Realise a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating critical understanding, realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, oral or other elements.
A level – coursework is made up of one unit which is a personal study of the student’s choice, including a 1,500 word essay. Students are assessed for both course work and exam as they are for AS; Develop, Experiment, Record and Realise.
Final Grades are marked: 60% coursework – 40% examination
Examination Board – Edexcel
