Art and Design

Curriculum Vision

Our art curriculum develops all students into curious artist designers, who are critical thinkers and confident communicators through visual, written and linguistic forms.

We provide our students with a wealth of art making and art object experiences; through both we learn about different times, different cultures, and differing views and beliefs. Through the study and appreciation of art, our students explore what it means to be human and to be alive.

All students

• We are ambitious for, and have high expectations of, all of our pupils and know that every student can experience success in art through careful sequencing of the curriculum, establishing schemas of creative process and high-quality, research-informed teaching and learning.
• We believe that every student at Walthamstow Academy, regardless of prior or current attainment or skill, has the right to experience the full spectrum of art history across global cultures and develop their practical skills and the spoken, written and visual literacy to enable them to share and communicate their experiences.
• Our consistent use of explicit direct instruction and attention to application of artistic skills across all classes ensures all students make progress in art, including those with SEND, art is for everyone.

Confidence

• Through our curriculum delivery, will be able to confidently articulate how art and design both reflect and shape our history, contributing to the culture, creativity and wealth of our world.
• We recognise and promote that there is a wide range of success criteria available to evaluate and appreciate creative works, both in the wider world of art and in the art and design spaces at Walthamstow Academy. This helps students to understand value attributed to works.
• At Walthamstow academy students gain pride through recognising value in their own work.

Reasoned judgements and analysis of image and language

• Our curricular approach enables students to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design.
• Through the development of strong reasoning and analytical skills, we want our students to appreciate the beauty, creativity and communicative power of the visual arts.

Development of a wide range of proficient artistic skills

• Our art and design curriculum engages, inspires and challenges pupils, equipping them with the applied knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and refine their own works of art, craft and design.
• Art, Design and Photography empowers our students to work in future fields as diverse as architecture, interior design, fine art, medicine and marketing.

University and Careers

“Art is not just for looking; it’s for imagining, questioning, and dreaming.”  - Artist Carrie Mae Weems

University

All staff share with students, via a high-profile display board, where they went to university and what they studied. This is an area that we are currently developing as so many of our students want to pursue a career in art and design, and we want to hone our curriculum to ensure that opportunities to link our content to university and careers are maximised.

Careers

We explicitly establish and develop working habits in our students (investigation, experimentation, recording, personal response) which lend themselves to the skillset needed to work in any creative field.

Art Curriculum Journey

The Art Curriculum Journey can be viewed by clicking on the banner below:

DT Curriculum Journey

The DT Curriculum Journey can be viewed by clicking on the banner below:

The Art and Design Team

• Ms Rosie Knowles - Head of Art
• Ms Rae Harrison - Teacher in charge of Design Technology
• Ms Nisa Kurklu - Teacher of Art
• Mr Elliott Thomas - Technician

For more information on our curriculum, please email rosie.knowles@walthamstow-academy.org for a copy of our department curriculum handbook.