Art

Miss J Rowlandson - Head of Art

The Art department at Tarleton Academy aims to make Art, Craft and Design accessible and enjoyable for all students.

Students develop skills using a wide range of Artistic media; drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, graphic design and ICT. Students also learn to observe closely and record what they see, research and analyse the work of other artists, think creatively and generate imaginative ideas, and to produce meaningful outcomes to projects. There are opportunities to work individually and to collaborate in groups. All these skills contribute to students’ wider learning in and out of school.

At Key Stage 3 students engage with a variety of themes, at present these are:

Year 7
Celtic Art – keeping a sketchbook, Self Portrait – Identity, 3 Dimensional Creatures and Natural Forms Interior Design.

Year 8
Still life – Creating a Character, Figure Drawing and Sculpture, Abstract Weaving and Landscape Painting.

Year 9
Pop Art – CD cover and T Shirt design, Cartoons – storytelling: conflict and Nature and Surrealism.

Art is a popular option at Key Stage 4 and the majority of students follow the AQA Art and Design GCSE Syllabus. We aim to personalise learning as much as possible. Some talented artists take their GCSE in Year 10 and follow either A/S level Art and Design in Year 11 or Silver Level Arts Award (a course that promotes independent learning and leadership skills.) Sometimes students with particular skills and interests study a specialised Art GCSE such as photography.

Our lessons are supported by a range of lively and well attended extra curricular activities; The Art Working Lunch is a weekly workshop for years 9-11(and staff) to learn new techniques. Every other lunchtime is Art Club for all years, a chance to work on class work / coursework, get help with homework, work on free drawing or painting, enter competitions or work on seasonal themes such as making Christmas decorations. Catch up clinics and extra tuition for GCSE and A/S level students are also held after school.

The Art Department organises many gallery visits, including annual trips to Liverpool and London, sketching visits to sites such as Martin Mere and Sefton Park Palm House as well as workshops with practising artists.

We have links with the local community through working with local primary schools in a variety of ways, making artwork for a local retirement home and exhibiting students work at Tarleton Library.