Welcome to our Art Department

Who We Are
Mrs E Cooper - Curriculum Leader
Miss F Hedley
Mrs M Robinson

Key Stage 3

KS3 Art students at the Emmbrook School are taught & encouraged to:

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas & recording their experiences
• Use a variety of techniques to record their observations in sketchbooks, journals & other media as a basis for exploring their ideas
• Use a range of techniques & media, including; painting, drawing, photography & 3D to increase proficiency in the handling of different materials
• Analyse & evaluate their own work, & that of others to improve their work & outcomes
• Learn about the history & context of Art & Design from a variety of eras & cultures. You will look at colour theory, identity, environment & cultural influences. In addition to working from observation, students are encouraged to use their imagination.

The Art Department offers a range of opportunities including; weekly Art Club, visits to the Reading University Institute of Education Art Department, workshops with artists, participation in the National Big Draw, and working with local Primary Schools & Wokingham Borough Council community events.

Key Stage 4

Fine Art GCSE
Examination Board: AQA
Fine Art GCSE at The Emmbrook School will give you a broader outlook on the world you live in. It enables you to explore your own creativity & imagination through communicating & expressing individual ideas & meanings.
You will be required to complete a portfolio of work that shows your ability in a range of areas, such as; fine art painting/printing, graphics/illustration & digital imagery. You will experience a rich variety of artists & designers that result in ambitious investigations & a final piece.
It is an opportunity for committed & self-motivated art students to achieve in a course that continually proves highly successful & popular at The Emmbrook School.

Assessment: Fine Art is 60% Portfolio Unit which is completed in class and for home learning & 40% Externally Set Assessment, which involves class, self-led preparatory work & a two day 10 hour practical exam.

Three Dimensional Design GCSE

Examination Board: AQA

Three Dimensional design is an Arts based course that is defined as the design, prototyping, and modeling or making of functional and aesthetic products, objects, and environments, drawing upon intellectual, creative, and practical skills. At Emmbrook, we teach this course as a sculpture based course that explores a range of 3D materials such as card, clay, plaster, and wire. You will be required to complete a portfolio of work that shows your ability in a range of areas, such as drawing, painting, illustration, photography, and designing. You will experience a rich variety of artists & designers that result in ambitious investigations & sculptural outcomes.

Assessment: 3D design is 60% Portfolio Unit which is completed in class and for home learning & 40% Externally Set Assessment, which involves class, self-led preparatory work & a two day 10 hour practical exam.

Key stage 5

Fine Art

Examination board: AQA

Studying Fine Art at ALevel Students will be introduced to a variety of fine art media, processes and techniques. In Year 12 Students complete a portfolio of experimental work before embarking on their personal investigation which is a sustained self-chosen project which is completed over 10 months. Students will experience workshops and skill building in drawing, painting, mix media, sculptural materials, printmaking techniques and photography. We encourage our students to think about their practice in more depth and broaden their critical understanding of Artists and their work.

Assessment: Fine Art is 60% Component one: Personal investigation which is completed in class, study periods and for home learning & 40% component two:  Externally Set Assessment, which involves class, self-led preparatory work & a three day 15 hour practical exam.

Progression:

An Art & Design background is essential for careers ranging from: Architecture to Furniture Design, Textile & Fashion Design to TV & Video. All Emmbrook students who apply for a Post 16 & 18 Art related course are successful in their application.

Past Emmbrook Art students have gone on to specialise in various disciplines at degree including: Fine Art-Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking, Fashion-Design & Marketing, Architecture & Interior Design, Animation, Illustration & Graphics, Theatre Design, Games, Web & Product Design.
Universities, including the Russell Group Institutes, recognise the importance of students undertaking a rounded & diverse curriculum.

 

September 2023