Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. Here at Whitworth Community High School we offer a high-quality art and design education, which engages, inspires and challenges students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. 

As students progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. 

Our students at WCHS are challenged to find creative and unique solutions to problems. All students are encouraged to experiment and will have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials including acrylic paints, print-making, photography, design and many others, whilst also developing their technical skills in drawing.

Through our Art curriculum, students are taught not only how to use formal elements within their art work such as line, tone, colour, space, texture etc., but to also analyse how formal elements are used as powerful communication tools to create effect.

The Art curriculum intent:

- Produce creative work, exploring students’ ideas and recording their experiences

- Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques

- Develop knowledge and understanding of the functional properties and characteristics of art media i.e. watercolour being translucent, pastels soft and easily blendable, acrylic paint vibrant and plastic based making it easy to layer.

- Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design

- Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

- Develop students’ enjoyment of Art, craft and design both as creator and observer 

- Expand upon students’ understanding of Art as having a social function- communicating a message, sharing an experience, creating a link between people

- Engage students’ ability to know more, understand more and remember more

- Improve students’ ability to reflect, revise, improve and to see the process as an integral part of becoming an artist, designer or craftsperson

- Develop students’ resilience, their independent and co-operative learning skills, and their confidence in problem solving

Numeracy: grid drawing for accurate observational work, measuring and using scale

Disciplinary literacy: Research into and intro to artists’ work, annotation of students’ own work, Tier3 vocabulary: key generic Art vocabulary, and topic specific vocabulary, and Tier 2 vocabulary: eg evaluate, proportion, contrast, symmetry 

KS4 

AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.
AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.