Visual Arts & Creative Technology
- Mrs M Raymond (Head of Visual Arts & Creative Technology)
- Mrs N Mc Garry (Head of Fisher House, Graphics & Photography Teacher)
- Mr O Cooper (Teacher of Fine Art, Applied Art and Graphics)
- Miss J Shaw (Teacher of Creative Technology and Creative Media Production)
- Ms K Johal (Head of Clitherow House and Year 11, Teacher of Art, Creative Technology and Food Technology)
- Miss E Travers (Visual Arts Technician)
The Visual Arts & Creative Technology Department at Bonus Pastor is a successful environment where the creativity and talent of all students is developed and nurtured. Specialist Art & Design, Graphics, Photography, Art-Textiles, Creative Technology and Creative Media production teachers offer a broad creative curriculum.
The Visual Arts & Creative Technology Department aims to create an environment where all can discover a visual language by which they can express their feelings and record their observations. We aim to make students aware of the concepts of the Visual Arts, and raise a critical, cultural and historic awareness. The Department aims to foster a positive, considerate attitude and empathy towards others, as well as enhance the students own self-belief.
Students build on their progress through regular individual discussions, portfolio clinics and exhibitions of work. Students are kept informed with new initiatives within the Visual Arts through strong links to further education colleges and universities, visits to exhibitions, national and local competitions and participating in a trip to New York City.
Why not visit our Visual Arts Shop, which sells exceptional work produced by our students, with 50% of the sale going directly to the student artisits themselves and the other 50% going to the department to continue to provide opportunities for other young artisits.
Department Overview at KS3 & KS4
At KS3 the Visual Arts & Creative Technology Department offer the following subjects
- Art – 1 double lesson per fortnight
- Graphics – 1 term of 2 double lessons per fortnight*
- Applied Art – 1 term of 2 double lessons per fortnight*
- Creative Technology – 1 double lessons per fortnight
*Graphics & Applied Art are taught in a carousel system for yr 7 and yr 8 along with Food Technology.
At KS4 the Visual Arts & Creative Technology Department offer the following subjects at KS4
- GCSE Fine Art – 3 double lessons per fortnight
- GCSE Photography – 3 double lessons per fortnight
- GCSE Graphics – 3 double lessons per fortnight
- BTEC Level 1 & 2 Creative Media Production – 3 double lessons per fortnight
For more information regarding GCSE options please see the drop down menus at the bottom of this page.
Art at KS3:
KS3 students study a double period of Art per fortnight. The Visual Arts Department offers process and skill- based projects with students producing work in two and three dimensions, including:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Photography
- Clay
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Digital Art
Alongside this our students learn how to be creative problem solvers, independent researchers, critical thinkers and question the world we live in. Creative careers and further education pathways are discussed frequently in both KS3 and KS4 lessons.
KS3 Art and Design projects include studying themes such as:
- Identity
- The Environment
- Social & Political Art
- World Art
- Technology & Art
For a full list of our topics studied please see Topic Overview.
Homework is set once a fortnight and links to the work students are studying in class. Tasks include drawing, painting, artist research, collecting resources, junk modelling, collage and photography which stretch and challenge students independent study skills. Art homework tasks should typically take 1 hour to complete each fortnight.
Art at KS4
Art and Design GCSE is an option subject at KS4, however students are strongly advised to pick a ‘creative’ subject to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Studying a creative subject will help your child develop skills at creative problem solving, independent research, critical thinking and a visual language to question the world in which we live.
More detail can be found out about GCSE on the drop down menu at the bottom of this page
Graphics at KS3:
KS3 students study two double periods of Graphics per fortnight for 1 term in Yr 7 and 1 term in Yr 8. The Graphics lessons are planned to cover the following key topics:
- Introduction to Graphic Design & Careers
- Poster Design
- Analysing Graphic designers work
- Understanding a Target Audience
- Typography Design
- Generating Ideas & planning
- Collage and printing techniques
- Digital Editing using Photoshop
Alongside this our students learn how to be creative problem solvers, independent researchers, critical thinkers and question the world we live in. Creative careers and further education pathways are discussed frequently in both KS3 and KS4 lessons.
KS3 Graphic Design projects include studying themes such as:
- Book Cover Design – A Monster Calls
- Packaging Design – soft drink can
- Movie Poster Design – inspired by Saul Bass
- CD cover design – Pop or Grime album covers
For a full list of our topics studied please see Topic Overview.
Homework is set once a fortnight and links to the work students are studying in class. Tasks include drawing, painting, artist research, collecting resources, collage and photography which stretch and challenge students independent study skills. Graphics homework tasks should typically take 30 minutes to complete each fortnight.
Graphics at KS4
Graphics GCSE is an option subject at KS4, however students are strongly advised to pick a ‘creative’ subject to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Studying a creative subject will help your child develop skills at creative problem solving, independent research, critical thinking and a visual language to question the world in which we live.
More detail can be found out about GCSE on the drop down menu below.
Applied Art at KS3:
KS3 students study two double periods of Applied Arts per fortnight for 1 school term in Yr 7 and 1 school term in yr 8. The Applied Arts lessons offer creative process and skill- based projects with students producing work in two and three dimensions, including:
- Art-Textiles
- 3D design & sculpture
- Printmaking
Alongside this our students learn how to be creative problem solvers, independent researchers, critical thinkers and question the world we live in. Creative careers and further education pathways are discussed frequently in KS3 lessons.
KS3 Applied Arts projects include studying themes such as:
- World Art-Textiles
- Mask-making inspired by global culture
- Printing inspired by the natural world
For a full list of our topics studied please see Topic Overview.
Homework is set once a fortnight and links to the work students are studying in class. Tasks include drawing, painting, artist research, collecting resources, junk modelling, collage and photography which stretch and challenge students independent study skills. Applied Art homework tasks should typically take 40 minutes to complete each fortnight.
Creative Technology at KS3:
KS3 students study two double periods of Creative Technology per fortnight. The Creative Technology lessons teach students how to use the internet effectively, how to stay safe, communicate, and share information.
Creative Technology projects include:
- E-Safety
- PowerPoint presentation
- Desk Top Publishing for magazines, brochures & newspapers
- Spreadsheets
- Living in The Digital World – search engines, data protection, copyright laws, plagiarism
- Design & making own website
- Musical Festival – design website, ticket design, digital poster design, logo design
- Cyberbullying
- Creative Media Production
- Database Development
- Interactive Digital Media – games, gifs, website buttons
- Computer Fundamentals – Binary, hardware, software, in/output, storage devises
- Zine Design – advanced publishing
- Moving Image
For a full list of our topics studied please see Topic Overview.
Homework is set once a fortnight and links to the work students are studying in class. Tasks include independent research and report writing which stretch and challenge students' independent study skills. Creative Technology homework tasks should typically take 40 minutes to complete each fortnight.
Creative Technology at KS4:
BTEC Level 1 & 2 Creative Media Production is an option subject at KS4, however, students are strongly advised to pick a ‘creative’ subject to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Studying a creative subject will help your child develop skills at creative problem solving, independent research, critical thinking and a visual language to question the world in which we live.
More detail can be found out about GCSE in the subsection below.
Resources
The facilities consist of fully equipped art studios, a kiln room, a sculpture garden, a dark room, a full suite of Photography laptops, a DT workshop, an Art-Textiles workshop, a Graphic Design room, and four computer suites. The department has access to an outstanding exhibition space to display students' work.
Enrichment and Extra-Curricular
The Visual Arts & Creative Technology Department run a vibrant after school clubs
The Art Scholarship Programme - Invitation
The art scholarship program caters to our more able KS3 artists and offers a specialist workshop-style club to further enhance student’s artistic abilities. Regular studio based lessons challenge and extend students' observation drawing skills. Artist analysis helps students understand different styles of art and meaning. Art scholars are invited to attend Art gallery trips and workshops. Visiting artists give our students talks about their pathway and creative careers.
The KS3 Art Club is held every Thursday at 3.10pm – 4.30 pm
The Art Club gives students the chance to explore new forms of art such as animation, street-art, installation, and time-lapse photography. Students work with a vast range of exciting materials and techniques such as junk modeling, lino printing, and digital art as well as traditional materials such as pastels, paint, and charcoal.
The KS3 Creative Technology Club is held – TBC
The Creative Technology Club is run by Yr 8 students who have displayed a particular talent in this subject. The club offers students the opportunity to enhance their publishing skills and create a range of digital products to promote different events.
Yr 8 Art Club 3.10pm – 4.30pm
The Yr 8 Art Club offers students the opportunity to explore GCSE style projects so that they become familiar with a variety of skills required. Painting, drawing, printing, and modeling are just a few of the topics covered.
Graphics homework Club Week 1 Wednesday 3.10 pm – 4 pm
Graphics homework club offers our students help to complete their graphics homework using specialist materials. The Graphics teacher is able to support and guide students on how to achieve their very best.
KS 4 Open Art Studio 3.10pm – 4.30pm
Open studio sessions offer our GCSE artists a specialist area to complete their coursework. Specialist teachers are able to support students to achieve their very best. Students have access to art materials and specialist equipment such as laptops, Photoshop, drawing tablets, printing equipment, paints, inks, pastels, clay, cameras, and a wide variety of other materials.
Yr 9 Creative Media Production Intervention sessions 3.10 pm – 4.30 pm
A specialist club that offers one-to-one teacher support with Creative Media Production coursework. See Miss Bird for further details.
Yr 11 Art Intervention Sessions 3.10pm – 4.30pm
Yr 11 students have an opportunity to access specialist individual help with their coursework portfolios. Tasks are tailor-made to ensure each student achieves their full potential.
Yr 11 Photography Intervention sessions 3.10pm – 4.30pm
Yr 11 students have an opportunity to access specialist individual help with their coursework websites and final pieces. Tasks are tailor-made to ensure each student achieves their full potential.
Yr 11 Creative Media Production Intervention sessions 3.10 pm – 4.30 pm
Yr 11 students have an opportunity to access specialist individual help with their BTEC coursework. Tasks are tailor-made to ensure each student reaches their full potential. See Miss Shaw for further details.
Visual Arts & Creative Technology Day Trips
A variety of reward day trips are organised throughout the year to Art galleries, museums, and Universities. Trips include visits to The Tate Modern, Tate Britain, The White Cube Gallery, The Horniman Museum, the Design Museum, The National Portrait Gallery, Goldsmiths University, Roehampton University, Kew Gardens, and The Southbank.
Residential Trips
An annual KS 4 Visual arts & Creative technology trip to New York takes place every October. Visits to MOMA, The MET, The Guggenheim, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, A Broadway show, Tour of Manhattan, Central Park, Times Square, and a Brooklyn Street Art tour are just some of the exciting opportunities our students experience.
Visual Arts & Creative Technology Competitions
National and local competitions run throughout the year offering students to attain recognition for their talents. Past winners have included The Fourth Plinth competition, exhibition of art students work at the BBC studios, Exhibition of students work at City Hall and a collaborative projection of students work on to Buckingham Palace. Our student's artwork has also been included in a double-page spread in the Sunday Times.
Visual Arts & Creative Technology Enrichment Projects
Alongside Art & Design lessons and homework teachers offer enrichment projects to encourage students to become independent learners and develop their knowledge, skills, and understanding further. Projects include
- The 25 Day Drawing Challenge
- London Gallery Treasure Hunt
- Junk Modelling Competition
- Art Master Class Sessions
- Annual Exhibition
For more details please email our Head of Department
Latest Departmental News
After a year’s break the Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth School Awards are back! Over the Christmas break research what exhibitions have been installed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar square…..now it’s your turn to design an artwork to go on the plinth.
Here’s how to get involved:
There are winner and runner-up prizes for different age categories: 8-11 years and 12-15 years, as well as prizes for the best work from each London borough. There’ll also be a presentation ceremony at the new City Hall and all winning entries will appear in an exhibition in late spring.
Deadline is 1st February 2022
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Mayor of London's Christmas Card Competition 2021
Calling all Bonus Pastor students aged 11 to 14! We’re inviting you to take part in a competition to design the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s official Christmas card.
The theme
The theme this year is 'Dreaming of a green Christmas'. We want to show how the festive season can unite Londoners against climate change and build a cleaner, greener city.
By entering the competition, your artwork will have the chance to feature on the Mayor’s 2021 Christmas card - sent to dignitaries across the world, including the Queen.
The prize
The winning design will be the Mayor’s official Christmas card. It will also feature the winner’s name, age and school on the back of the card.
The competition is supported by Cass Art, one of the UK’s leading art supplies retailers. The winner will receive a certificate, copies of the card to send to their friends and family, have their Christmas card personally signed by the Mayor and a £100 Cass Art gift voucher.
Also, two highly commended entries will each receive a certificate and a £30 Cass Art gift voucher.
How to enter
To take part in this year’s competition, you’ll need to submit your entry to Mrs Raymond or email me a photo or scanned image of your design. The deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 3rd November.
Good luck!
Mrs Raymond
Head of Visual Arts and Creative Technology
Year 11 Art Exhibiting alongside Professional Artists at the APT Gallery
Groundwork ,an artist’s collective have been working with our year 11 Art GCSE class over the past year. The group have zoomed into our classroom during the pandemic, visited us in person to create contemporary art and last week invited us to join them as they curated their work at the APT Gallery for their exhibition which starts 21st – 31st October 12-5pm (Thurs- Sun).
The artists have been so impressed with the year 11 student’s work that they have selected one piece from each student to display during their exhibition.
Congratulations Year 11 artists, this is an outstanding accomplishment to have your work selected for a professional Art Exhibition.
We would like to pass our sincere thanks to the Groundwork Artists Collective for volunteering their time to work alongside Bonus Pastor.
Please do visit the exhibition more information can be found at www.aptstudios.org/exhibitions
GCSE Photography Workshop:
Yr 9 Photography were rewarded for their hard work by taking part in a Masterclass Photography lesson with famous celebrity photographer Jack Alexander. Jack is well known for photographing Ed Sheran, Dua Lipa, Little Mix, and many more in fact when he left us a Bonus Pastor he was going to a photoshoot for Vogue!
Jack gave a talk about working in the industry, how to start students could start their own business and shared special tips for portrait photography. Jack demonstrated his technique to our students and critiqued each group as they worked on photoshoots. Jack will be coming back to mark the students work and critique their portfolios on 12th July. Bonus Pastor would like to thank Jack Alexander for being so kind and generous with his time and sharing his story with our students.
Mrs Raymond
Head of Visual Arts & Creative Technology Department
An exciting project called ‘The Art Incubator’ which involved a professional artist and our Yr 9 Art students took place at school this week. The aim of the project was to look at issues that affect us all and find solutions to raise awareness through the Visual Arts. Bonus Pastor was one of three international schools that took part. Our students discussed diversity, climate change, mental health & wellbeing. Each school made a model of how they would improve the school environment by considering the issues raised. At the end of Day 2 Bonus Pastor students presented their ideas to the other schools via Zoom. Congratulations to all the Yr 9 Art students who took part.
Mr Cooper & Mrs Raymond
We started the project by brainstorming issues that were important to us - BLM, global warming, pollution mental health and well-being. We worked with a partner to make drawings and show how these issues affect our world. I drew a black woman to show black culture and the importance of black lives. On the second day, we split into 3 teams and recreated different areas of our school whilst taken inspiration from the issues we discussed. We made an eco-friendly Bonus Pastor chapel, music and visual art rooms and a creative outdoor area. We added solar panels and wind turbines made out of cardboard to demonstrate how are school could be more eco-friendly. We designed bright inspiring art and music rooms and a beautiful green outdoor area. This experience has taught me and my fellow students about important issues that affect our daily lives. It taught us that we can make a difference and make the world a happier, cleaner place to live and we can celebrate diversity.
Robert Adoo Kissi-Debrah Yr 9
Our Visual and Creative Arts students really enjoyed the opportunity on No Screen Friday to get creative in a whole host of different ways!
Some participate in the Spirited Arts competition in conjunction with the RE department (for pictures see our RE page) whilst otherwise just took the opportunity to be creative using their own style, ideas and techniques!
Our Visual Arts & Creative Technology Department and students have continued to be busy both in their remote learning lessons and in their live after school art club. Check out some of their amazing work below.
Well done to our fantastic Art Club students who made these wonderful Salt Dough models with their families last week. If you would like to join our Virtual Art Club every Friday please email Mrs Raymond.
Drawing of the Week
Zuzanna has impressed me with her efforts on more than one occasion this year. However, this is definitely my favourite thus far and is a brilliant work of art that demonstrates a true understanding of proportions and tonal shading techniques. Very well done indeed! Mr Cooper
Our art students have excelled with their lockdown architecture project and have been busy creating amazing futuristic cities. I think you would agree that we have some very talented young architects on our hands!
Mrs Raymond
To see all of their work click on the link below:
Photographs of The Week
This week's outstanding photographs were taken by Solange and Gabriel in Yr 9 in response to the theme 'Onwards and upwards'. Dramatic camera angles and an excellent sense of depth make these excellent photographs.
Creative Technology Examples of Excellent Yr 7 Work
Year 7 have been learning about Desktop Publishing. They have learned about the ways different Publishing products are produced in the Media industry. Here are some outstanding examples of some newspaper collages created by Y7 for Homework
APT Gallery Deptford
Congratulations to our students Yr 7 – Yr 11 who volunteered to take part in a collaborative project with the artists group ‘Ground Work’. Ground Work consist of eight professional artists and a writer. Students were asked to take photographs from the artists brief titled ‘Things That Are There.’ Our students work was on virtual display at the ATP Gallery in Deptford over the half term and will be part of a three-week exhibition at the Gallery in 2021. Student’s work that is selected to be included in the Ground Work book will be credited.
Well done to Cael Devers, Janelle Tedman, Elarni Linton, Rebecca Tuckey, Sienna Anderson, Seamus Gaffney, Tilly Booth-Farmer, Daniel Olotu and to our past students Anastasia Dianellou, Leah Bent, Michael Angelo Olinares and Pharrell Mukasa.
Paintings of The Week
Well done to Michelle Yr 9 who produced these beautiful paintings over the half term.
Photography of The Week
Well done to Rebekah McLaughlin Yr 9 who took these fantastic photographs for her GCSE project titled 'Looking Up'.
Year 8 Portrait Drawings of the week
Well done to Lana, Britney and Sara 8NC who worked hard on their excellent portrait drawings over half term.
Outstanding GCSE Graphics Work
Our Year 11 GCSE Graphics students have been working hard over the last few weeks on their portfolios, which includes the digital art you can see below created in the style of Shepard Fairey. Well done to Alex, Joshua, Michal and Hector!
GCSE Graphics T-Shirt Production:
Art Club:
Art Club is very popular with over thirty Year 7 members attending each week. Our talented artists have been busy creating 3D origami sculptures, abstract marble painting, making lino prints, learning to draw portraits and designing Christmas cards.
Art Club is held every Thursday in CG05 from 3.10pm – 4.30pm
GCSE Fine Art
Qualification: GCSE
Exam Board: Edexcel
Tiers of Entry: Single
Art and Design is not a compulsory option at KS4, however, we strongly encourage students to pick a creative subject to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Creative subjects help students develop as creative thinkers, independent researchers, critical thinkers, and help to question the world we live in.
The Visual Arts Department aims to create an environment where all can discover a visual language by which they can express their feelings and record their observations. We aim to make students aware of the concepts of Visual Arts and raise a critical, cultural and historic awareness. The Department aims to foster a positive, considerate attitude and empathy towards others, as well as enhance the student's own self-belief.
Students build on their progress through regular individual discussions, portfolio clinics, and assessments. Students are kept informed with new initiatives within the Visual Arts through strong links to further education colleges and universities, visits to exhibitions, national and local competitions, and residential trips to New York, USA.
Course Content and Assessment:
GCSE Fine Art comprises of two coursework units worth 60% of the GCSE grade
Unit 1: Identity - Sketchbook and final pieces
Unit 2: Fantastic & Strange – Sketchbook and final pieces
The Externally Set Exam in Yr 11 is worth 40% of the GCSE grade
Students will be given 12 school weeks to complete an exam sketchbook in response to the given theme. Students will then have 10 hours to make a final exam piece.
Assessment
The work is assessed using four Assessment Objectives. The Assessment Objective are equally weighted and are the same for both the coursework and the examination.
In each project, your sketchbook covers the first three Assessment Objectives, and the fourth is your final piece.
Below is a summary of the Assessment Objectives and the work you could include to cover these.
The four Assessment Objectives
Assessment Objective 1 |
Analytical and cultural understanding |
Annotation of your drawings, written comments about the work of other artists or work you have done in the style of other artists. |
---|---|---|
Assessment Objective 2 |
Experimentation and development |
Experiment with a variety of materials, developing your work into designs for a final piece. |
Assessment Objective 3 |
Recording ideas and observations |
Initial notes and ideas about the theme, observational drawings and photographs. |
Assessment Objective 4 |
Personal response |
Your final piece based on the work you have done in your sketchbook. |
For more information relating to the specification and exam board, please use the link below.
Homework:
A minimum of 1-hour Art homework is set each week. All homework counts towards your 60% coursework grade. Tasks include artists research, drawing, painting, collage, photography and sculpture.
Revision and Useful Websites
Revision isn't applicable to GCSE Fine Art, however, below are some useful websites to gain some inspiration.
Useful example of GCSE Art research websites include:
The Photographers Gallery âWhtie Cube
Progression:
Art & Design GCSE is a prerequisite for studying Art at A level at Post 16 Schools/ Colleges
Alternative pathways include Art & design BTEC level 1, 2 and 3 at Post 16 Colleges
Art & Design can be studied to BA Hons degree level, Master of Arts Level and Ph.D. level at various Universities
Creative Careers:
Many of our students each year choose to study Art at higher education establishments and go on to successful creative careers such as
- Architects,
- Graphic designers
- Fashion designers
- Digital artists
- Game designers
- Photographers
- Illustrators
- Film-makers
- Shoe designers
- Car & transport designers
- Product designers
- Medical illustrators
- Ceramicists
- Costume designers
- Theatre set designers
- Industrial architects
- Textile designers
- Art teachers/lecturers
- and many more exciting creative industry jobs
GCSE Graphics
Qualification: GCSE
Exam Board: Edexcel
Tier of Entry: Single
Graphic Communication is not a compulsory option at KS4, however, we strongly encourage students to pick a creative subject to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Creative subjects help students develop as creative thinkers, independent researchers, critical thinkers, and help to question the world we live in.
The Visual Arts Department aims to create an environment where all can discover a visual language by which they can express their feelings and record their observations. We aim to make students aware of the concepts of Visual Arts and raise a critical, cultural and historic awareness. The Department aims to foster a positive, considerate attitude and empathy towards others, as well as enhance the student's own self-belief.
Students build on their progress through regular individual discussions, portfolio clinics, and assessments. Students are kept informed with new initiatives within the Visual Arts through strong links to further education colleges and universities, visits to exhibitions, national and local competitions, and residential trips to New York, USA.
Course Content and Assessment:
GCSE Graphic Communication comprises of two coursework units worth 60% of the GCSE grade
Unit 1: Identity - Sketchbook and final pieces
The Externally Set Exam in Yr 11 is worth 40% of the GCSE grade
Students will be given 12 school weeks to complete an exam sketchbook in response to the given theme. Students will then have 10 hours to make a final exam piece.
The work is assessed using four Assessment Objectives. The Assessment Objective are equally weighted and are the same for both the coursework and the examination.
In each project, your sketchbook covers the first three Assessment Objectives, and the fourth is your final piece.
Below is a summary of the Assessment Objectives and the work you could include to cover these.
Assessment Objective 1 |
Analytical and cultural understanding |
Annotation of your drawings, written comments about the work of other artists or work you have done in the style of other artists. |
---|---|---|
Assessment Objective 2 |
Experimentation and development |
Experiment with a variety of materials, developing your work into designs for a final piece. |
Assessment Objective 3 |
Recording ideas and observations |
Initial notes and ideas about the theme, observational drawings, and photographs. |
Assessment Objective 4 |
Personal response |
Your final piece based on the work you have done in your sketchbook. |
For more information relating to the specification and the exam board, please use the link below.
Homework:
A minimum of 1-hour Art homework is set each week. All homework counts towards your 60% coursework grade. Tasks include artists' research, drawing, painting, collage, and photography.
Websites:
Useful example of GCSE Graphic Design research websites include:
Progression:
Graphic Communication GCSE is a prerequisite for studying Graphic communication or Art & Design at A level at Post 16 Schools/ Colleges
Alternative pathways include Art & design BTEC level 1, 2 and 3 at Post 16 Colleges
Graphic Design can be studied to BA Hons degree level, Master of Arts Level and Ph.D. level at various Universities
Creative Careers:
Many of our students each year choose to study Visual Arts at higher education establishments and go on to successful creative careers such as
- Architects
- Animators
- Graphic designers
- Fashion designers
- Digital artists
- Game designers/3D modeling
- Photographers
- Illustrators
- Film-makers
- Shoe designers
- Car & transport designers
- Product designers
- Medical illustrators
- Ceramicists
- Costume designers
- Theatre set designers
- Industrial architects
- Textile designers
- Art teachers/lecturers
- and many more exciting creative industry jobs
For more details please email our Head of Department
GCSE Photography
Qualification: GCSE
Exam Board: Edexcel
Tier of Entry: Single
Photography is not a compulsory option at KS4, however, we strongly encourage students to pick a creative subject to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Creative subjects help students develop as creative thinkers, independent researchers, critical thinkers, and help to question the world we live in.
The Visual Arts Department aims to create an environment where all can discover a visual language by which they can express their feelings and record their observations. We aim to make students aware of the concepts of Visual Arts and raise a critical, cultural and historic awareness. The Department aims to foster a positive, considerate attitude and empathy towards others, as well as enhance the student's own self-belief.
Students build on their progress through regular individual discussions, portfolio clinics, and assessments. Students are kept informed with new initiatives within the Visual Arts through strong links to further education colleges and universities, visits to exhibitions, national and local competitions, and residential trips to New York, USA.
Course Content and Assessment:
GCSE Photography comprises of two coursework units worth 60% of the GCSE grade
Unit 1: Identity – A Digital Portfolio website and final pieces
Unit 2: Fantastic & Strange – A Digital Portfolio website and final pieces
The Externally Set Exam in Yr 11 is worth 40% of the GCSE grade
Students will be given 12 school weeks to complete an exam digital portfolio website in response to the given theme. Students will then have 10 hours to make a final exam piece.
Assessment
The work is assessed using four Assessment Objectives. The Assessment Objective are equally weighted and are the same for both the coursework and the examination.
In each project, your digital portfolio website covers the first three Assessment Objectives, and the fourth is your final piece.
Below is a summary of the Assessment Objectives and the work you could include to cover these.
The four Assessment Objectives
Assessment Objective 1 |
Analytical and cultural understanding |
Annotation of your photographs, written comments about the work of other artists/photographers and work you have done in the style of other artists/photographers |
---|---|---|
Assessment Objective 2 |
Experimentation and development |
Experimenting with a variety of digital editing tools such as Photoshop, developing your work into ideas for a final piece |
Assessment Objective 3 |
Recording ideas and observations |
Initial notes and ideas about the theme, Photo-shoots, and annotation |
Assessment Objective 4 |
Personal response |
Your final piece based on the work you have completed on your website |
For more information relating to the specification and the exam board, please use the link below:
Homework:
A minimum of 1-hour Photography homework is set each week. All homework counts towards your 60% coursework grade. Tasks include artist research, artist analysis, conducting photoshoots, editing photos, annotating your work
Revision and Useful websites:
Useful example of GCSE Art research websites include:
Progression:
Photography GCSE is a prerequisite for studying Art at A level at Post 16 Schools/ Colleges
A level Photography at Post 16 Schools / Colleges
Alternative pathways include Art & Design / Photography BTEC level 1, 2 and 3 at Post 16 Centres
Photography or Art & Design can be studied to BA Hons degree level, Master of Arts Level and Ph.D. level at various Universities
Creative Careers:
Many of our students each year choose to study Visual Arts at higher education establishments and go on to successful creative careers such as
- Architects
- Animators
- Graphic designers
- Fashion designers
- Digital artists
- Game designers/3D modeling
- Photographers
- Illustrators
- Film-makers
- Shoe designers
- Car & transport designers
- Product designers
- Medical illustrators
- Ceramicists
- Costume designers
- Theatre set designers
- Industrial architects
- Textile designers
- Art teachers/lecturers
- and many more exciting creative industry jobs
For more details please email our Head of Department
BTEC Creative Media Production
Qualification: BTEC
Exam Board: Edexcel
Tier of Entry: Single
Creative Media Production is not a compulsory option at KS4, however, we strongly encourage students to pick a creative subject to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Creative subjects help students develop as creative thinkers, independent researchers, critical thinkers, and help to question the world we live in.
The Visual Arts Department aims to create an environment where all can discover a visual language by which they can express their feelings and record their observations. We aim to make students aware of the concepts of the Visual Arts and raise a critical, cultural, and historic awareness. The Department aims to foster a positive, considerate attitude and empathy towards others, as well as enhance the student's own self-belief.
Students build on their progress through regular individual discussions, portfolio clinics and assessments. Students are kept informed with new initiatives within the Visual Arts through strong links to further education colleges and universities, visits to exhibitions, national and local competitions, and residential trips to New York, USA.
Course Content and Assessment:
BTEC Creative Media Production comprises of two coursework units worth 60% of the GCSE grade
Component 1: Research
a) Investigate media products
b) Explore how media products are created to provide meaning and engage audiences
Component 2: Practical Application
a) Develop media production skills and techniques
b) Apply media production skills and techniques
c) Review own progress and development of skills and practices
The Externally Set Exam in Yr 11 is worth 40% of the GCSE grade
Students will be given 12 school weeks to complete an exam research in response to the given theme. Students will then have 9 hours to make a final digital exam piece
Below is a conversion grid showing how your BTEC CMP work is marked against the GCSE grading system.
Creative Media Production Grading |
GCSE Equivalent 1 - 9 |
---|---|
Level 2 Distinction * |
8/9 |
Level 2 Distinction |
7 |
Level 2 Merit |
5/6 |
Level 2 Pass |
4 |
Level 1 Distinction |
3 |
Level 1 Merit |
2 |
Level 1 Pass |
1 |
X |
0 |
For further information about BTEC Creative media Production please see the students BTEC CMP handbook, or see the following link:
Homework:
A minimum of 1-hour Creative Media production homework is set each week. All homework counts towards your final grade. Tasks include creative research, artist/designer analysis, conducting photoshoots, shooting films, editing photos & annotating your work
Useful Websites:
Progression:
BTEC Creative Media Production Level 3 can be studied at Post 16 Schools/ Colleges
A level Photography at Post 16 Schools / Colleges
Alternative pathways include Art & Design / Photography BTEC level 1, 2 and 3 at Post 16 Centres
Media, Photography or Art & Design can be studied to BA Hons degree level, Master of Arts Level and Ph.D. level at various Universities
Creative Careers:
Many of our students each year choose to study Creative Media production, Photography or Art at higher education establishments and go on to successful creative careers such as
- Architects,
- Graphic designers
- Fashion designers
- Digital artists
- Game designers
- Photographers
- Illustrators
- Film-makers
- Shoe designers
- Car & transport designers
- Product designers
- Medical illustrators
- Ceramicists
- Costume designers
- Theatre set designers
- Industrial architects
- Textile designers
- Art teachers/lecturers
- and many more exciting creative industry jobs