Intention

Implementation

Impact

The Arts at Tor is an important part of Tor curriculum across both KS3 and 4; it influences and contributes to the values and ethos of the school. 

Creating products/artwork that young people have designed and made themselves is a highly motivating, tangible experience and that invaluable hands-on practical experience is at the core of our Arts curriculum. 

In KS3 and 4, we aim to ensure they achieve the best possible experiences in the Arts, instilling a love of the subject and sense of pride. Using creativity and imagination, young people at Tor will design and make unique artwork and functioning 3D products, using a variety of mediums, processes and materials. Ideas are generated, communicated and evaluated through action. This is an intensely creative, reflective, evaluative way of working, developing important practical problem-solving skills and opening the doors to a range of different career paths and/or further training/education. 

Our Arts curriculum at Tor is vital to engage, inspire and enthuse all students, equipping them with the confidence to experiment, invent and create their own outcomes they are proud of.  

As learners progress, they will  develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of how the Arts make an essential contribution to the creativity and well-being of themselves and their community as well as the career opportunities within the Creative/Practical industry.  

Our curriculum helps to develop in young people such qualities as imagination, inventiveness, resourcefulness and flexibility; essential life skills and experiences embedded in The Arts that will support them into adulthood. Industry and commerce need people with such qualities and skills in the 21st Century and curriculum supports the Skills Builder areas, such as Problem solving, team work and communication.

Our focus is predominantly on developing practical  and creative engaging, skills our young people may have missed out on in mainstream, and would benefit greatly from developing. Teaching young people at Tor the skills they need in order to confidently produce a wide range of outcomes, the Arts offers a broad and exciting curriculum to inspire and nurture a love of the subject. The curriculum in the subject provides highly positive, memorable experiences and opportunities which have a very positive impact on pupils’ behaviour and their safety. 

The program of study across the Arts at Tor is based on key elements of the Art and Design and D&T  2014 National Curriculums for KS3 and AQA Art and Design GCSE specification, ensuring gaps are closed in order to support progression onto their next phase, as well as opening the door to further education or training.  

Projects have been developed and adapted specifically to suit the needs and interests of the young people at Tor and continue to be developed as interests change  

Our program of study ensures learners experience a broad and balanced curriculum with a range of mediums, processes and material areas. Projects develop in increasing level of exposure to specialist tools, machines and processes which enables them in KS4 to further develop and hone the skills and expertise in areas which they enjoy and excel in, to allow them to reach their potential. As learners progress through KS3 they work on projects that require increasing level of technical/artistic skill, as well as increasing creative freedom and opportunities to make design decisions to express their individuality and with unique and personal pieces.  The program of study has been developed to ensure that there is accumulative progression, revisiting key skills with a developing level of complexity and challenge across the program. Projects increase in specialised processes and deepen their understanding of the properties and practical application of materials, becoming more confident and competent Artists and Designer/Makers, building upon and extending their repertoire or artistic skills and experiences as they progress.  

During an iterative design process, discussion leads to action, further thought and design opportunities with a practical response.  

The subject is taught as a discrete part of the timetable but cross-curricular links are formed, where possible to support the development and contextualise learning in core subjects. 

At KS4 at Tor, within the Faculty, we offer: 

AQA Art, Craft and design 

AQA 3D Design 

AQA Photography 

Our curriculum for the Arts at Tor across all key stages ensures that all young people:   

- Engage in a variety of creative and practical activities, learning the knowledge, understanding and practical skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making, taking risks and problem solving, becoming inspired by and for the Arts. 

- Critique, evaluate and test creative works; their own and others to express their views, become critical consumers and strengthen the visual impact or applications of their work. This should include a trip to a museum or Art Gallery   

- Select appropriate materials/media by building up a repertoire of practical knowledge and understanding of the properties of a range of materials and their practical application. 

- Making design decisions which will allow young people to feel ownership of and demonstrate their creative, technical and practical expertise, encouraging a sense of pride in their work.  

- Opportunities outside the classroom are just as important as those that we find in lessons and the Arts curriculum lends itself perfectly to developing a broader sense of self, linking learning to real life and possible career pathways. 

- They will acquire a broad range of skills and, through the evaluation of past and present designers, develop as critical consumers with an understanding of the impact products have on daily life.  

- Our young people design considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values, creating opportunities to develop kindness and empathy. 

- Photograph editing software and knowledge equips learners with an insight into skewed reality and not to take publicity/media images at face value. 

Students throughout KS3 and 4 at Tor are taught to develop their creativity and ideas and learn to problem solve and see merit in the ‘failures’. They develop a understanding of artists, architects and designers, expressing judgements that then inform their own work. Students increasingly develop their creative confidence, through being taught different ways in which they can design and develop a range of creative outcomes and personal ideas. Students learn how to make individual choices, improve their creative and technical skills and increase their proficiency resilience when approaching problem/challenges.  

Students at KS4 are encouraged to undertake independent and highly personalised projects that link to their own personal skills/interests/ambitions. This encourages a deeper level of engagement and purpose with meaningful experimentation and outcomes.