Art at St Gregory’s seeks to give students a firm foundation in the key skills of Art and Design. A broad range of media is covered including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture.
The use of photography and digital media is also encouraged. Students learn about Art from different cultures and develop their knowledge of Art History within a variety of themed projects.
The aim is to be as creative as possible in order to produce work which is unique and personal, whilst still showing a connection to what they have learnt from others. Art can form a powerful tool for self-expression and students are encouraged to celebrate what is important to them in the work they create.
Students follow a course of study in Year 7 that seeks to lay a good foundation in the key skills of drawing, mark-making, shading and colouring, and have opportunities to experiment with a wide variety of media including clay.
Their learning and development continues into Year 8 where students are introduced to the work of artists from other cultures and backgrounds. Students experiment with techniques and processes and further enhance their key skills in drawing from observation, adding realism and depth to their work.
In Year 9, students study genres of art such as Expressionism and Pop Art, developing their own themes and outcomes within their context of study. Students in year 9 are also encouraged to create work which is personal to them and that can reflect the world and culture that they live in.
Course Code: GCSE Art, Craft and Design AQA 4200
Exam Board Specification: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse/art-and-design-8201-8206
Both Fine Art and Photography are represented in the Key Stage 4 curriculum.
The Fine Art course offers students the opportunity to work across a broad range of media including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and digital media linked with photography.
In Photography candidates are introduced to the subject through a variety of workshop-style studio sessions, using a mixture of traditional and modern photography practices. Students learn to use the dark room to develop their photographs as well as using Photoshop to edit photography created with digital cameras.
Both courses encourage candidates to develop their own work with reference to other artists and photographers in our own and other cultures; within a historical perspective and responding to current ideas.
Gallery visits, contextual studies and suggested courses of independent study, including using the internet, help candidates in personal research for their sketchbooks.
Course Code: A Level Fine Art/Photography AQA
Exam Board Specification: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/as-and-a-level/art-and-design-7201
Whether specialising in Fine Art or Photography, this is a wide ranging course, encouraging a very personal approach to work and chosen media. We explore the world through the visual arts in 2D and 3D media using drawing and painting, photography, print-making and sculpture.
Students will be introduced to a variety of traditional and new media, processes and techniques. Knowledge of the work of other artists and photographers will be developed and they will create their own personal outcomes by following a process of refinement of ideas.
The course begins with completing a broad project on People and Places, covering portraiture, landscapes, still life and urban art. Students then start the Personal Investigation (Component 1) and once completed, progress to their final exam project (Component 2).