Art & Design
Year 7 Art Curriculum – Statement of Intent
At our independent secondary school, the Year 7 Art curriculum is designed to nurture creativity, build confidence, and lay a strong foundation in visual literacy and artistic techniques. Our intent is to inspire curiosity, foster self-expression, and develop a deep understanding of art as both a personal and cultural language.
Through a carefully structured sequence of topics, students will be introduced to essential art skills and concepts, while exploring a diverse range of materials, media, and movements. Our curriculum includes:
- Colour Theory and the Colour Wheel – Students learn about primary, secondary, and tertiary colours, complementary schemes, and how colour influences mood and meaning in art.
- Elements of Art – A foundational focus on line, shape, form, tone, texture, colour, and space to develop visual awareness and control.
- Pattern and Texture – Exploring natural and man-made patterns, students will experiment with techniques to create rich, tactile surfaces and designs.
- Pop Art and Street Art – Investigating bold, graphic movements that challenge traditional boundaries and link art with popular culture and public space.
- Advertising and Visual Communication – Understanding how art is used to influence and persuade, with students designing their own impactful visual messages.
- Pointillism – Exploring this technique of mark-making and colour mixing through historical context and personal experimentation.
- Architecture – Introducing structural and aesthetic principles of buildings, encouraging students to design imaginative architectural forms.
- Clay Ceramics – Hands-on work with clay to develop 3D forms and surface decoration techniques, fostering patience, precision, and creativity.
- Watercolour Techniques – Building skills in layering, blending, and brush control to create expressive and atmospheric artworks.
- Artist Research and Critical Thinking – Developing independent inquiry skills as students explore the lives, styles, and influences of significant artists from various cultures and time periods.
Throughout the year, students will be encouraged to reflect on their work and that of others, make purposeful creative decisions, and grow as independent thinkers and makers. By the end of Year 7, students will have developed a rich visual vocabulary, greater technical ability, and an appreciation for the role of art in shaping identity and society.
Curriculum Overviews and Scheme of work:
KS3 Scheme of work:
Year 8 Art Curriculum – Statement of Intent
In Year 8, our Art curriculum continues to build on the foundational skills developed in Year 7, while encouraging greater independence, imagination, and personal voice. Through a diverse and engaging range of themes, students will explore how art connects with the world around them—scientifically, culturally, and emotionally.
Our intent is to broaden students’ understanding of visual storytelling, technical skill, and creative expression through the following topics:
- Discovery and Inventions – Students will explore how innovation and curiosity have shaped both art and society, producing imaginative responses to historical and futuristic inventions.
- Reflections – A focus on light, symmetry, and mirrored imagery encourages experimentation with tone, form, and composition.
- Fruit Cross-Section Studies – Observational drawing is developed through the detailed examination of fruit interiors, reinforcing skills in shading, texture, and colour blending.
- Anime and Character Design – Inspired by Japanese animation, students will explore stylistic illustration, facial expressions, and storytelling through dynamic character development.
- Portraits – Building on anatomical understanding and proportion, students will study a range of portrait styles and create personal interpretations using varied media.
- Amazon Adventure and Animal Prints – Inspired by the natural world, students will explore bold patterns, vibrant colours, and the diverse wildlife of the Amazon, linking creativity with environmental awareness.
- Comic Strips and Visual Narrative – Students will learn to sequence imagery and combine text with illustration to communicate action, mood, and humour effectively.
- Sweet Treats (Food Art) – Exploring contemporary art and still life, students will create vibrant, eye-catching works inspired by sweets and desserts, using colour and composition to evoke sensory appeal.
Throughout the year, students will be encouraged to take creative risks, reflect critically on their work, and draw inspiration from both historical and contemporary sources. By the end of Year 8, learners will have expanded their technical skills, strengthened their visual communication abilities, and begun to develop a personal artistic identity.
Curriculum Overviews and Scheme of work:
KS3 Scheme of work:
Year 9 Art Curriculum – Statement of Intent
The Year 9 Art curriculum is designed to deepen students’ engagement with visual art by encouraging more personal, analytical, and independent approaches to making and understanding art. As students mature, we aim to provide them with opportunities to explore identity, culture, and artistic intention through both historical and contemporary lenses.
This year’s programme develops conceptual thinking alongside technical refinement, with the following core themes:
- Identity – Students will explore self-expression through portraiture, symbolism, and personal imagery. This project encourages them to reflect on what defines them—culturally, emotionally, and visually—while experimenting with mixed media and composition.
- Artist Study: Paul Cézanne – Focusing on Cézanne’s still life and landscape work, students will study his use of colour, form, and structure to inform their own pieces. This unit enhances observation skills and introduces analytical research.
- A Sense of Place – Students will visually respond to places that are personally or culturally significant to them. Through drawing, painting, and collage, they will explore how location influences memory, atmosphere, and identity.
- Artist Study: Andy Warhol – Building on prior Pop Art knowledge, students will examine Warhol’s use of repetition, celebrity culture, and mass media, creating bold and concept-driven work in response.
- Gridding Technique – Students will learn and apply the gridding method to improve accuracy and scale in their drawing, often used in portrait or still life work, combining technical control with creative intent.
- Then and now Time Capsule- Students will explore growth and change over time by visually comparing past and present. Through reflection, research, planning, and experimentation, you will create an artwork that captures how life interests technology and surroundings have changed over time.
Throughout Year 9, students are encouraged to take greater ownership of their creative choices, engage with critical thinking, and make meaningful connections between their ideas and outcomes. This year serves as an important bridge to GCSE-level study, equipping students with the confidence, skills, and conceptual understanding needed for more advanced artistic exploration.
Curriculum Overviews and Scheme of work:
KS3 Scheme of work: