Art

KS4 Exam Board: AQA

At Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy, Art is important because:

• It develops creativity, confidence and resilience through practical and imaginative learning.
• It encourages students to think critically, communicate ideas visually and solve problems creatively.
• It enables students to explore a wide range of artists, cultures and artistic processes whilst developing an appreciation of the visual world.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Build secure knowledge of the formal elements, artistic techniques and creative processes.
• Develop practical skills through drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, mixed media and digital processes.
• Prepare students for GCSE Art by progressively developing independence, creativity and critical thinking.

In Art, we deliver the curriculum through:

• At Key Stage 3, students study Art on a carousel, completing one sustained project each year over approximately 10 weeks.
• A consistent learning journey of retrieval practice, artist research, teacher modelling, practical skill development, experimentation, refinement and evaluation.
• Opportunities for students to work from observation, develop personal responses and evaluate their work using subject-specific vocabulary.

Curriculum Overview

Assessment

• Ongoing formative assessment through teacher feedback and questioning during practical lessons.
• Self and peer assessment using success criteria and subject-specific vocabulary.
• End-of-project assessments that evaluate knowledge, skills and practical outcomes.
• At GCSE, regular assessment against the four AQA Assessment Objectives (AO1–AO4).

GCSE Assessment

GCSE Art & Design is assessed through two components completed over Year 10 and Year 11.

• Portfolio (coursework): 60%
• Externally Set Assignment (10-hour practical exam): 40%

We know our curriculum is successful when:

• Students produce creative, ambitious and technically accomplished artwork.
• Students confidently analyse, refine and evaluate their work using appropriate artistic vocabulary.
• Students leave Key Stage 3 prepared for GCSE and Key Stage 4 with the knowledge, skills and independence needed for further study or careers within the creative industries.

Revision

• AQA GCSE Art & Design Specification
  To understand the Assessment Objectives (AO1–AO4) and course requirements.
• Tate, National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and Google Arts & Culture 
  For artist research, collections and virtual exhibitions.
• Pinterest
  To gather visual references, create mood boards and develop ideas for personal projects.
• Students' sketchbooks, project booklets and teacher feedback
  To review previous work, refine ideas and identify next steps.