Art

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Summary

KS3 Art corresponds to the National Curriculum for Art and Design, providing formal, technical and contextual experiences, towards the development of key skills, knowledge and understanding in the making and understanding of Art.

Pupils focus primarily on drawing and painting through Year 7-9, allowing them to practice and master valuable skills in the essential disciplines in art making. With these established it is then possible to express imagination, make observations of the world around them and communicate developing thoughts and ideas. Each of the nine units set across the three years in KS3 develop these.

Each unit within the curriculum is underpinned by an additional focus which deals with one of a number of important considerations in a child’s development, notably: values; historical context; British culture; future opportunities and employment and the observation and understanding of the world around us. The carefully structured curriculum leads onto GCSE Art and Design, A Level Fine Art and A level Photography. A pupil who is ‘secure’ in their Art studies at KS3 is able to progress further down these routes.

Northampton Academy values of determination, respect and ambition and a strong emphasis on character are also built into the curriculum. All pupils work in cooperative learning groups and have regular experience of leadership; they are rewarded for effort in all their work and for successes made in their own development, as well as for academic and practical achievement.