Head of Department Ms. E Davies

At Barclay Academy, we place high premium on the teaching of the creative arts. The creation of visual art is a key part of what makes us human, and can be found across all world cultures throughout human history. The study of art is therefore essential to developing our students’ cultural literacy, their appreciation of different cultures, and their understanding of the different forces which have shaped our world today. The opportunity for students to create their own works of art is equally important, giving them a chance to channel their ideas through a variety of media, and to express themselves in a positive outlet. Most importantly, we want our students to develop an appreciation of visual art and culture that will last them a lifetime.

KS3

At Barclay Academy, all students in Key Stage 3 study art. In Years 7, 8 and 9, art lessons have been designed to develop our students’ fundamental artistic knowledge and skills, skills which will provide the foundations for their future understanding and appreciation of art.  In year 7, students learn the formal elements of art and design. We focus on drawing skills, shape, tone, colour theory and mark making before applying them to different projects. After students have learnt about different areas of art they investigate how art elements are used in different cultures around the world. In year.8 students will learn about an influential modern art movement, which has produced some of the art world’s most iconic artists. We investigate pinnacle moments within the artists’ body of work and recreate drawings associated with their style. For our year.8 sustained project, we revisit prior knowledge of art elements as well as learning new drawing techniques to create various outcomes associated with insects. In year 9, the first cultural project introduces elements used within Mexican folk art designs before moving onto how art is used in festivities of Day of the Dead. The second project is portraiture, where students will learn to draw realistic features of the face and develop new skills to experiment with different mediums through artist research.

KS4

At Barclay Academy, we follow the AQA specification in Art and Design: Fine Art, a challenging but rewarding course in which students have the chance to develop their individual creative abilities. The GCSE coursework explores themes within natural forms. Students build a creative portfolio that incorporates many different aspects of art and design techniques and builds upon the skills learnt at KS3. They are encouraged to experiment with materials and outcomes as well as develop a thoroughly investigated independent project. Furthermore, students are also required to develop their skills of independence and resilience, using their portfolios to become self-critical and self-reflective as well as to document and evidence their artistic processes and engagement within the topics.

KS5

An Art A-level is an exciting and challenging course which develops students’ historical and cultural appreciation of art, refines their artistic processes and skills, and prepares them for their journey into the creative industry. At Barclay, we follow the AQA specification in Art and Design: Fine Art. Progressing from their studies of the different artistic mediums and disciplines at GCSE, students start to identify the key strengths and interests that they want to develop. Art history and theory is taught at a higher level so students can explore connections within their own projects. Students begin the course with a boosted mini projects that explore areas of art such as stitch, architecture, typography/graphics, portraiture and printmaking, which helps to inform them when identifying their strengths and choosing their personal individual theme and project content.