Art
The art department at St Mary’s Ascot offers art and design from Year 7 to Upper Sixth.
During the first three years, Art education is seen as a time in the school week when pupils are encouraged to extend not only their powers of creativity, imagination and awareness of the visual world, but also to develop their mental powers in a lateral direction. Although we are not bound by the National Curriculum (NC), we are greatly influenced by its guidelines and we use this structure as a foundation on which to base the Art & Design syllabus. Consequently, we place even greater emphasis on art appreciation, research & investigation, and developing & evaluating work.
Years 7 and 8 have 1 double lesson of either art, ceramics or textiles a week, working in each area for ten weeks. The pupils move around the three disciplines and by the end of Year 7 will have completed a project in ceramics, textiles and painting. Each project has a different theme that is worked on in all areas.
Year 9 are taught as a whole year group, but are spilt into four equal groups. They operate in a carousel system, and develop four projects over the course of the year in ceramics, painting, printmaking and textiles.
Four themes are covered over the course of the year and each project lasts for approximately 7 to 8 weeks.
In each case, pupils are introduced to the project by the teachers of each discipline. Pupils are encouraged to use their sketchbooks to document all preparatory work before going on to complete a final piece.
During the summer term a visiting artist works with Year 9. This gives pupils the experience of working with an artist and developing work for a specific site, together with an exhibition for Open Day. This year the girls took part in a Giacometti workshop, producing mod roc figures for the atrium area.
Experiencing such a broad range of disciplines will not only help pupils when considering their GCSE options but also give pupils a sound foundation in all aspects of Art and Design.
The OCR GCSE art and design course consists of 3 units of coursework and a final externally set examination.
Pupils can be entered for either Unendorsed: submitting work from two or more areas of study.
These include:
- Fine Art (painting & drawing, sculpture, printmaking)
- Photography
- Textiles
- Three-dimensional Design - ceramics
Or Endorsed: specialising in one particular area where all three coursework units and the final examination are completed in one discipline.
Click here to see a selection of girls' artwork
Coursework
The coursework is executed during lessons and study time with each unit of coursework based on a theme. At times pupils will be required to work from direct observation and at others to use their imagination and creativity to produce and develop ideas which lead to exciting and original work.
In each piece of coursework as well as the final examination candidates must demonstrate that they have the ability to:
- Record observations, experiences and ideas in forms that are appropriate to intentions.
- Analyse and evaluate images, objects and artefacts showing understanding of context.
- Develop and explore ideas using a variety of media, processes and resources, refining and modifying work as it progresses.
- Present a personal response, realising intentions and making informed connections with the work of others.
Trips are organised to museums and galleries